Prayers

For The Church Service League

Of The Diocese Of Massachusetts

Seventh Edition, Revised and Enlarged, 1952

      Grateful acknowledgment is extended to Authors and Publishers of collections for the Prayers used in these pages. Special gratitude is also acknowledged to the Right Reverend Edward M. Cross, S.T.D., for excerpts from “The Use of Religion.”

Contents

Part  I – Prayers For Personal Use

Part  II – Prayers Of Confession And Forgiveness

Part  III – Prayers For The Church, Organizations And Groups

Part  IV – Prayers For Children And Christian Education

Part  V – Prayers For Missions

Part  VI – Prayers For Christian Unity And Social Service

Part  VII – Prayers For Christian Citizenship

Part  VIII – Prayers For The Sick And The Departed

Part  IX – Meditations, Acts Of Devotion, Benedictions

Part  I – Prayers For Personal Use

Approach to God

      Lord God, we believe in thee, help thou our unbelief; we love thee, yet not with a perfect heart as we would; we long to serve thee, yet not with our full strength; we trust in thee, yet not with our whole mind.  Forgive our past disloyalties; accept our longing to know and serve thee.  What is cold do thou kindle, what is lacking do thou make up, and grant us thy blessing; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Malcolm Spencer

Opening Prayer

      Into thy hands, O God, we commend ourselves this day: let thy presence be with us to its close; enable us to feel that in doing our work we are doing thy will, and that in serving others we are serving thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Uppingham School Prayers

For the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit

      Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name; through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

Veni Creator

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,

And lighten with celestial fire —

      Thou the anointing Spirit art,

      Who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.

Thy blessed unction from above

Is comfort, life, and fire of love.

      Enable with perpetual light

      The dullness of our blinded sight,

Anoint and cheer our soiled face

With the abundance of thy grace,

      Keep far our foes, give peace at home;

      Where thou art guide, no ill can come.

Teach us to know the Father, Son,

And thee of both to be but one,

      That, through the ages all along,

      This may be our endless song:

Praise to thy eternal merit,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

Teach Us to Pray

      Teach us, O God, to pray as our Saviour taught his disciples.  As we come into thy presence, give us humble and contrite hearts, conscious of our deep unworthiness, of our unutterable need, and of thy power to help us.  Grant us wisdom to watch for thine answers, and the grace to thank thee for every gift thou givest, knowing that, loving us as thy children, thou wilt provide for all our necessities; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Spirit of Worship

      O Almighty God, from whom every good prayer cometh, and who pourest out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and supplication; Deliver us, when we draw nigh to thee, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind; that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship thee in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

William Bright

Daily Prayer

      Give us grace, O Eternal Father, that we strive to keep the way of the Cross, and carry in our hearts the image of Jesus crucified.  Make us glad to conform ourselves to thy divine will, that, being fashioned after his life-giving death, we may die according to the flesh, and live according to the Spirit of Righteousness, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour.  Amen.

Companions of the Holy Cross

For Guidance

      O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly; Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldst have us to do, that the spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For the Direction of the Holy Spirit

      O God, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For the Companionship of Christ

      O blessed Christ, who didst draw near to thy disciples as they walked together by the way and were sad, so draw near to us as we journey along our daily way.  Open to us the meaning of life, and reveal thyself as our strength and our companion; as thou art our Lord and Saviour evermore.  Amen.

For Parents

      O Father of mankind, assist all parents with thy heavenly grace that they may be able to fulfill their most sacred duty and stewardship.  Teach them both what to give and what to withhold; when to reprove and when to forbear; make them to be gentle, yet firm; considerate and watchful; and deliver them equally from the weakness of indulgence and the excess of severity; and grant that, both by word and example, they may be careful to lead their children in the ways of wisdom and true piety, so that, at the last, they may together be admitted to the unspeakable joys of the true home in heaven, in the company of the blessed Angels and Saints.  Amen.

Prayer for a Married Couple

      O God, our Heavenly Father, protect and bless us.  Deepen and strengthen our love for each other day by day.  Grant that by thy mercy, neither of us ever say one unkind word to the other.  Forgive and correct our faults, and make us instantly to forgive one another, should one of us unconsciously hurt the other.  Make us, and keep us sound and well in body, alert in mind, tender in heart, devout in spirit.  O Lord, grant us each to rise to the other’s best.  Then we pray thee add to our common life such virtue as only thou canst give, and so, O Father, consecrate our life and our love completely to thy worship and to the service of all about us, especially those whom thou hast appointed us to serve, that we may always stand before thee in happiness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Slattery

For Knowledge of God

      O God, our great Companion, lead us ever more deeply into the knowledge of thy life and ours, and make us faithful interpreters of life to our fellows, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For Patient Faith

      Grant unto us, Almighty God, that justice which builds on thee, that faith which works with thee, and the patience which abides thy long delays; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

A Book of Collects

For Knowledge

      O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For Those We Love

      Almighty God, we entrust all who are dear to us to thy never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come; knowing that thou art doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Knowledge of God

      O God, from whom to turn away is to fall, in whom to abide is to stand fast for ever, teach us how to know thee – and live, where to serve thee – and reign, when to praise thee – and rejoice, and build us to be temples worthy of thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

St. Augustine

For the Faithful Service

      O Christ, our Master, help us to serve thee so faithfully in these our duties that we may some day hear thee calling us friends.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For Trust

      Lord, increase our faith, that feeling towards thee as children, we may trust where we cannot see, and hope where all seems doubtful, ever looking unto thee as our Father that ordereth all things well, and patiently doing the work thou hast given us to do; according to the word of thy Son Jesus Christ.  Amen.

George Dawson

For the Love of God

      O God, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For the Love of God

      O Lord, thou Lover of Souls, open my eyes to see thy love for me.  Grant that I may face all difficult and lonely places in my life, strong in the knowledge of that love.  May the divine fire of thy understanding, inspiring, unweariable love enkindle my heart till every detail of my daily life shall be so warmed and gladdened thereby, that it may become the work of my life to obey thee, and the joy of my soul to please thee; through Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

L. H. M. Soulsby

For Love

      O Lord, our Heavenly Father, who hast revealed to us the height of love; Strengthen, we beseech thee the bonds of affection which unite us to our kindred, our friends, and our fellow men; free us from suspicion and self-seeking, make clearer our insight to discern their need, quicken our sympathy, enlarge our charity, and so purify our relations to each other that the coming of thy kingdom, whose law is love, may be hastened upon earth.  Amen.

For the Love of God

      O God, the God of all goodness and all grace, who art worthy of a greater love than we can either give or understand; Fill our hearts, we beseech thee, with such love towards thee that nothing may seem too hard for us to do or to suffer in obedience to thy will; and grant that thus loving thee, we may become daily more like unto thee, and finally obtain the crown of life which thou hast promised to those who love thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

A Book of Offices and Prayers

For the Love of God

      Enwrap us in thy love, O God, that we may love others with the love wherewith thou lovest us; keep our hearts and minds surely set on thee, that thou mayest use us not according to our notions, but according to our capacities, in the accomplishment of the design of thy love, to do the good works that thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers for the City of God

For Husband and Wife

      O Heavenly Father, who hast given us thy servants to one another, and who hast blessed the holy estate of matrimony; Help us to remember that love is of God, and that only in nearness to thee can we keep the love thou hast given us.  Make our union pure in thought and deed, giving us with dear and close companionship unselfish care for each other’s welfare.  Grant us perfect mutual trust and truth, fearlessness in upholding thy standard before the world, justice toward all with whom we deal.  Help us to build up a holy and happy home life, and of thy mercy bless us with children and endue us with grace to rear and train them in thy holy favor, and so holding all thy gifts in trust for thy blessed service may we meet joy and sorrow with a changeless faith in thy goodness and with ever-increasing love, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For a Sense of God’s Presence

      O Lord God and Father, thou knowest how blind we are to thy presence, how dead to thy purpose and deaf to thy call; grant us to feel thy guiding hand through all the scattered details of our daily life, in all the tumult to hear thy still small voice, and in all dimness of our spirits to have a sense of thine everlasting arms upbearing us, so that, being willing to spend and be spent in thy service, we may accomplish all that thou wouldest, and at the last find fulfillment in the perfect freedom of thy sole sovereignty; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers for Students

For Parents

      O God, our Heavenly Father, who hast blessed us with the joy and care of children; Give us light and strength so to train them, that they may love whatsoever things are true and pure and lovely and of good report; following the example of their Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For a Sense of God’s Presence

      Almighty God, who fillest all things with thy presence; We meekly beseech thee, of thy great love, to keep us near unto thee this day; grant that in all our ways and doings we may remember that thou seest us, and may always have grace to know and perceive what things thou wouldst have us to do, and strength to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Ancient Collect

For the Presence of God

      O Lord God, in whom we live, and move and have our being; Open our eyes that we may behold thy fatherly presence ever about us.  Draw our hearts to thee with the power of thy love.  Teach us to be anxious for nothing, and when we have done what thou hast given us to do, help us, O God our Saviour, to leave the issue to thy wisdom.  Take from us all doubt and mistrust.  Lift our thoughts up to thee, and make us to know that all things are possible to us through thy Son our Redeemer.  Amen.

Bishop Westcott

For Self-Dedication

      Into thy hands, O Lord, we commit ourselves this day.  Give to each one of us a watchful, a humble, and a diligent spirit, that we may seek in all things to know thy will, and when we know it may perform it perfectly and gladly, to the honor and glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Sense of God’s Nearness

      Deepen and quicken in us, O God, the sense of thy presence.  Make us to know and feel that thou art more ready to teach than we to learn.  Grant us dignity in our own eyes, by taking us into thy service.  Humble us by laying bare before our eyes our littleness and our sin, and then exalt us by revealing thyself to us as our Counsellor, our Father and our Friend; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For Grace to Follow

      O Almighty God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord; grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love thee; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For Confident Hope

      Eternal and unchangeable God, in whom alone we find rest for our weariness and comfort for our sorrow, and from whom alone cometh all true joy; keep our hearts, we beseech thee, ever fixed on thee through life and death, waiting patiently for that glorious day when we shall rejoice in the fullness of thy love for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Realization of the Power of God

      O Lord, thou Lover of Souls, forgive us for so often looking on the limitations of our lives instead of realizing their limitless power in thy power; and forgive us all for our incomprehensible slowness in making use of that power, which thou hast revealed to us, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

L. H. M. Soulsby

For Nearness to God

      O Heavenly Father, we have loved thee, but not enough; we have sought thee, but not diligently; we have seen but not perceived; we have heard but not understood; we have hoped for things heavenly, but clung to things of earth, and our hearts have been far from thee, the Holy One; but now, O Lord, draw us near to thee, that the time to come be not as the past, but that finding, perceiving, understanding and loving thee above all things, we may have rest and joy in thy service; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

“Simple Prayers”

For the Grace of Cheerfulness

      Grant unto us, O God, the grace of cheerfulness.  Help us to face life with a smile, a hopeful word, and an undaunted heart.  Make us radiant with thy Presence, and use us to cheer the way and brighten the lives of others; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers for Schools and Colleges

For Devotion to the Service of Christ

      O Merciful Jesus, vouchsafe evermore to dwell in the hearts of us thy servants; strengthen us with thy might; make us perfect in thy ways; guide us into thy truth; and unite us to thyself and to thy whole Church by thy holy mysteries; that we may conquer every adverse power, and may be wholly devoted to thy service and conformed to thy will; to the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

For Vision, Faith and Work

      Give us, O God, the vision which can see thy love in the world in spite of human failure.  Give us the faith to trust thy goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness.  Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding hearts.  And show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

G. F. Weld

For the Vision of His Beauty

      Bless us, O God, we pray thee, with the vision of thy being and beauty; that in the light of it we may learn to think thine own thoughts after thee, and in the strength of it may do our work without haste and without rest; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash (Adapted)

For Knowledge

      O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For Strength

      O God our Father, grant unto us according to the riches of thy glory, to be strengthened with might by thy Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith; that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of thy glorious purpose, and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Amen.

Adapted from St. Paul

For Faith

      O Heavenly Father, who understandest all thy children; Bestow upon us, we beseech thee, thy gift of faith, that we may bring our perplexities to the light of thy wisdom, and receive the blessed encouragement of thy sympathy, and a clearer knowledge of thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

J. W. Suter, Jr.

For Faithfulness and Perseverance

      Almighty God, the Guide and Strength of the faithful; Give us a deeper sense of thy besetting Presence.  When life is difficult, when our fellow-workers fail us, when the cause we care for does not seem to prosper, when we stumble on account of our own weakness, give us courage not to despair.  Meditating on thy patient will and love, may we win the spirit that brings good out of evil, victory out of defeat; through Jesus our Saviour.  Amen.

For a Blessing on Our Friendships

      O Eternal God, who watchest over us all; Grant that the friendships formed between us here may neither through sin be broken, nor hereafter through worldly cares be forgotten; but that, bound together across the world by the unseen chain of thy love, we may be drawn nearer to thee and nearer to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

P. B. Clayton

For the Renewal of Our Strength

      O God, the Sovereign Good of the soul, who requirest the hearts of all thy children; Deliver us from all sloth in thy work, all coldness in thy cause; and grant us, by looking unto thee to rekindle our love, and by waiting upon thee to renew our strength, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

William Bright

For Strength in Trial

      Thou hast promised, O Lord, a crown of life to him who overcometh.  Give us hearts to welcome thy severer blessings and in them find the clasp of thy strong hand.  In darkness as well as in light thou hast hidden treasures for our spirits.  Grant that we may find them, through thy love and our confidence in thee, our Saviour.  Amen.

For God’s Help

      Grant us, O Lord, in all our duties thy help, in all our perplexities thy counsel, in all our dangers thy protection, and in all our sorrows thy peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

A Book of Collects

For Power to Do God’s Will

      Thou hast showed us, O God, what is good: enable us, we beseech thee, to perform what thou dost require, even to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thee our God; through Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

For Strength of Purpose

Lord of the world,

We pray thee master these our weak and vacillating wills,

With thine almighty, clear-discerning will.

We would have working through our ineffectiveness thy quiet strength,

Through our blind folly thy clear-eyed discernment,

Through our changing impulses thy one direct and steady determination,

Through our indecision thine unswerving judgment.

Transform us therefore by thine own presence within us,

That so, being mastered and possessed by thee,

We may find freedom in service,

Entire liberty of our wills in entire subjection to thy will;

            through Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Prayers for an Indian College

For the Will of Christ

      O God, our great Companion, give to us or take from us whatever else it please thee to give or take away, but give to us now and forever a will like thine own that wearies not and wastes not; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For the Peace of God

      O God, who art Love; Grant to thy children to bear one another’s burdens in perfect good will, that thy peace which passeth understanding may keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Hours

For God’s Continuous Support

      Lord, support us all the day long of this troublous life, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening come, and this busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done; and then, in thy mercy, grant to us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Thanksgiving

      Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thank thee for all which thou hast given and for all which thou hast forgiven; for thy hidden blessings and for those which in our negligence we have passed over: for every gift of nature or of grace: for our power of loving: for all which thou hast yet in store for us: for everything, whether joy or sorrow, whereby thou art drawing us to thyself through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

J. W. Suter

Thanksgiving for the Commonplace

      O God, accept our thankfulness for the countless little commonplace blessings and safeguards that surround us, so familiar that we ignore them; so unfailing that we have come to consider them as our right; so abundant, that our complainings are shamed into silence.  Help us to remember that “what we have had might have made glorious saints of those who have less.”  We ask it in the name of him who is our greatest blessing and safeguard, thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The Coming of the Kingdom

      O Lord, to whom we pray that thy kingdom shall come, and who hast taught us to pray for its coming; make us ever ready to bless thee for the signs of the dawn, and to work for the perfect day when thy will shall be done on earth, as it is in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Westminster Prayers

A Thanksgiving

      We yield thee hearty thanks, O Lord our God, for thy great goodness to us.  Mercifully assist us in every duty, and vouchsafe to be our Companion every day, that we may love thy presence and walk in it vigilantly, and, being delivered from all errors and adversities, may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Praise for Mercies

      We praise thee, O God, for thine unceasing mercies, that, notwithstanding our sins and unworthiness thou continuest to us all the means of grace.  Forgive our negligence and wandering thoughts, even in time of prayer.  Give us grace that we may become more worthy of thy love; remember, O Lord, what thou hast wrought in us and not what we deserve, and as thou hast called us to thy service, make us worthy of our calling; through Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Ancient Cento

General Thanksgiving

      Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we, thine unworthy servants, do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us, and to all men; We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.  And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For Confidence in God

      Almighty God, who art the only Source of health and healing, the Spirit of calm and the central Peace of the universe; Grant to us, thy children, such a consciousness of thy indwelling presence as may give us utter confidence in thee.  In all pain and weariness and anxiety may we throw ourselves upon thy besetting care, that knowing ourselves fenced about by thy loving omnipotence, we may permit thee to give us health and strength and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

C. M. Addison

For Hope

      O God of hope, fill us, we beseech thee, with all joy and peace in believing, that we may ever abound in hope by the power of thy Holy Spirit, and show forth our thankfulness to thee in trustful and courageous lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.  Amen.

The Grey Book

A Twelfth Century Prayer

Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,

For all the benefits thou hast given me,

For all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.

O most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother.

May I know thee more clearly,

May I love thee more dearly,

May I follow thee more nearly.  Amen.

Richard, once Bishop of Chichester, England

For Renewal of Our Souls

      Almighty Lord of life, of work and peace, Lord of our wandering wills; Renew, we beseech thee, our souls, by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, with loyalty to duty and love for it; that when our wills have become one with thine, when our work is judged by thy presence, when this life’s turmoil has brought forth its harvest of peace, our souls may see thy face; through his power who liveth and reigneth Lord of death and Source of life eternal, our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Frederic Palmer

Praise for God’s Goodness

      Heavenly Father, for all thy goodness to us we bless and praise thee; for friends and friendliness that have blessed our lives, for life itself with all its beauty and glory and opportunity, for the many chances to speak a word of courage and cheer to the heart of a brother; keep us close to thee that none of life be wasted, and make us bearers of the light divine.  Amen.

Against Apathy

      Let thy love, O Lord, fall as fire from heaven upon the altar of our hearts.  Strengthen thou our souls; awaken us from the deathly sleep which holds us captive, that we may no more live as in a dream, but walk before thee as pilgrims in earnest to reach their home.  And grant us all at last to meet with thy holy saints before thy throne, and there rejoice in thy love for ever and ever.  Amen.

For Spiritual Refreshment

      O Blessed Jesus, who didst bid all those who carry heavy burdens to come unto thee; Refresh us with thy presence and thy power.  Quiet our understandings and give ease to our hearts by bringing us close to things infinite and eternal.  Open to us the mind of God, that in his light we may see light.  And crown thy choice of us to be thy servants by making us springs of strength and joy for those whom thou hast sent us to serve.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For Nearness to Christ

      Merciful Jesus, who wast lifted up upon the Cross that thou mightest draw all men unto thee; Have mercy upon thy sinful servants and draw them closer to thyself.  We would be drawn nearer to thee in faith, learning to know better the precious teaching of the Cross.  We would be drawn nearer to thee in love, loving thee better for thine infinite love to us.  We would be drawn nearer to thee in likeness, copying the pattern of thy perfect meekness and patience.  Draw us, O merciful Saviour, lifted up from the earth upon the Cross, – draw us with the strong cords of thy love; embrace us with the outstretched arms of thy compassion, and through all trials and temptations, in all times of weakness and of danger, keep us close to thee, and suffer us not to go from thee; for thine infinite mercies’ sake, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.  Amen.

“Pastor in Parochia”

For the Will to Make Peace

      Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen.

St. Francis of Assisi

St. Teresa’s Bookmark

Let nothing trouble thee,

Let nothing affright thee,

All things are passing,

            God never changes;

            Patience obtains everything,

Nothing is wanting to him

            who possesses God.

God alone suffices.

For True Surrender

      O God, whose love holds us while we hide from thee, make us honest in our asking.  Help us so to give ourselves, our inmost thoughts, to thee, that, when we pray, our words may be freighted with a true surrender, a true desire to be with thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Grace Carpenter

For Courage

      O God, our Father; give to me that courage which comes only from living close to thee, the infinite source of all power and might, so that I may meet whatever comes to me with serenity and peace of heart and mind, and never fail to think brave thoughts, to speak brave words, and to do brave deeds; through Jesus Christ our Master.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For the Wonder of the Divine Love

      Fill us, we beseech thee, Lord Jesus, with the wonder of thy love, that we may adore thee in all things, prefer thee to all things, trust thee with all things, thank thee for all things, and so lose ourselves in love of thee that we may enter this day into thy Kingdom, there to abide with thee forever.  Amen.

E. T. H.

For Joy in God’s Creation

      O Heavenly Father, who hast filled the world with beauty; Open, we beseech thee, our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works; that rejoicing in thy whole creation, we may learn to serve thee with gladness; for the sake of him by whom all things were made, thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For a Forgiving Spirit

      Deliver us, O God, from injustice, envy, hatred, and malice; give us grace to pardon all who have offended us, and to bear with one another even as thou, Lord, dost bear with us, in thy patience and great loving-kindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Rydal School Hymnal

For a Sense of Mission

      All through this day, O Lord, let me touch the lives of others for good, by the power of thy quickening Spirit, whether through the words I speak, the prayer I breathe, or the life I live.  In the name of Jesus.  Amen.

For Freedom from Restlessness

      Set free, O Lord, the souls of thy servants from all restlessness and anxiety; give us that peace and power which flow from thee; keep us in all perplexity and distress, that, upheld by thy strength and stayed on the rock of thy faithfulness, we may abide in thee now and evermore; through Jesus Christ.  Amen.

A. S. T. Fisher

For Purity

      Most merciful Lord, who hast taught us that the pure in heart shall see God; Cleanse our hearts from all impurity.  Give us such hatred of all that is evil and such love of all that is beautiful and strong that we may be delivered from temptation and become a strength to others who are tempted; through thyself, our Lord and Saviour.  Amen.

For Power to Live the Truth

      Lord, give me thy help not only to speak the truth in love but also to live it with power.  Plant in my heart the seed of sincerity, that I may never falter.  Make me steadfast and sure, come what may; that being allied to thee and thy purpose I may share in the light of thy life and mount upward with glad and tireless step until I shall have attained even as Christ attained; through the same Christ our Master and Guide.  Amen.

Bishop Brent

God be in my head,

And in my understanding;

God be in my eyes,

And in my looking;

God be in my mouth,

And in my speaking;

And in my thinking;

God be at mine end,

And at my departing.

Sarum Primer

For True Courage

      O God, who through thy Son Jesus Christ hast promised a blessing to the meek upon the earth; Take from us all pride and vanity, boasting and forwardness; and give us the true courage that shows itself by gentleness, the true wisdom that shows itself by simplicity, and the true power that shows itself by modesty; for Christ’s sake.  Amen.

Charles Kingsley

For a Purpose in Life

      O God, who through thy Son hast made plain thy glorious plan for the world; Grant to me a place in that unfolding purpose; and show me thy plan for my life; though it be hard make me long to follow it; and give me courage to persevere till, at the last, I reach the goal which thou hast set for me; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Slattery

For a Sense of Justice

      Grant, O Lord, that I may see the true proportions of all claims on me, and may deal justly with my time, my affections, the power of my money, and the power of my tongue.  Give me the true sense of justice which springs from the insight of a loving heart; grant that neither indolence nor prejudice, self-seeking nor favoritism may make me unjust to others; and that no party spirit nor ignorant zeal for thee may blind me to the truth as revealed in Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

L. H. M. Soulsby

Finding Christ

      Grant to us, O Lord, as we walk the way of life, to find there the blessed footprints of thy Son; and having found them, constrain us to follow until we look up and see his face, and enter into the joy of his friendship.  We ask it in his Name.  Amen.

For the Spirit of Joy in Service

      Grant, O Lord, as thou hast cast my lot in a fair ground, that I may show forth contentment by rejoicing in the privileges with which thou hast strewn my path, and by using to the full my opportunities for service.  In hours of hardship, preserve me from self-pity and endow me with the warrior’s mind, that even in the heat of battle I may be inspired with the sense of vocation and win the peace of the victor; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Brent

For Gladness

      Almighty God, grant that I may awake to the joy of this day, finding gladness in all its toil and difficulty, in all its pleasure and success, in all its failure and sorrow; cause me to throw open the windows of my life, that I may look always away from myself and behold the need of the world; give me the will and the strength to bring the gift of thy gladness to others of thy children, that with them I may stand to bear the burden and heat of the day and offer thee the praise of work well done; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Slattery

For Kindness

      Grant, O Lord, that in all the joy of my life I may never forget to be kind.  Help me to be unselfish in friendship, thoughtful of those less happy than myself, and eager to bear the burdens of others; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

Bishop Slattery

For Control of Speech

      Almighty God, who knowest how often we sin against thee with our lips; Consecrate our speech to thy service, and keep us often silent, that our hearts may speak to thee and listen for thy voice; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

A Book of Collects

A Confirmation Prayer

      Almighty and everlasting God, by whose grace thy servants are enabled to fight the good fight of faith, and ever to prove victorious, I humbly beseech thee to strengthen me by thy mighty power for the battle of life; that in thy strength I may fight my sins and temptations and overcome them.

      Inspire me with thy Holy Spirit that I may think wisely, speak rightly, resolve bravely, act kindly, live purely.  Bless me in body and soul and make me a blessing to others.  May my chief aim always be to do my duty faithfully to thee, and to my fellow men.  Let the assurance of thy Presence strengthen me in life and comfort me in death, O Lord my God, for Jesus Christ’s sake.  Amen.

Dean Rousmaniere

For the Coming of the Holy Spirit

      Blessed Spirit of God, come to us in all thy fullness and power, to enrich us in our poverty, to inflame us in our feebleness.  Be closer to us than breathing, nearer than hands or feet.  As the branches are in the vine, so may we abide in thee.  Compass our minds with thy wisdom.  Saturate our souls with thy righteousness.  Fire our wills with thy might.  Melt our hearts with thy love.  Do everything at all times to make us wholly thine until thy wealth is ours and we are lost in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Brent

For the Things of Good Report

      Whatsoever things are pure and lovely, whatsoever things are gentle and generous, whatsoever things are noble and self-forgetful, honorable and of good report, these things, O Lord, grant that we may with one accord pursue; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Professor Knight

For Restraint in Criticism

      O Lord, Jesus Christ, who didst show unfailing patience and generosity in thy judgment of the people round thee; Forgive us the careless criticism and unkind words which cause so much suffering to others; help us neither to coin cruel gossip nor give currency to it, but rather to seek the best that lies in everyone and use it to the glory of thy Name.  Amen.

A. S. T. Fisher

For the Companionship of Christ

      O Blessed Jesus, whom to know is everlasting life and who didst walk through the lanes and fields of Galilee with thy disciples; Go forth with us this day as we go about our tasks and duties.  Go before us in welcome, be with us in fellowship along the way, and as we pass on, do thou remain in the hearts of those whose lives we touch; for thou art the beginning and the end, the same yesterday, today and forever, our Lord and Saviour.  Amen.

For the Small Duties

      Our Father, light up the small duties of this day’s life.  May they shine with the beauty of thy countenance.  Grant that we may believe that glory may dwell in the commonest task when done as unto thee and in the spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers for the Christian Year

For Truthfulness

      Almighty God, who hast sent the Spirit of truth unto us to guide us into all truth; So rule our lives by thy power, that we may be truthful in word, deed, and thought.  O keep us, most merciful Saviour, with thy gracious protection, that no fear or hope may ever make us false in act or speech.  Cast out from us whatsoever loveth or maketh a lie, and bring us to the perfect freedom of thy truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Westcott

For Peace of Mind

      Lift up, we beseech thee, O God, our hearts and minds above the false show of things, – above fear and melancholy, above laziness and despair, above selfishness and greed, above custom and fashion, up to the everlasting truth and beauty that thou art; that so we may live joyfully and freely as followers of thy Son, our example and friend, even Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

Charles Kingsley

For Everyday Tasks

      O Loving Father, who hast made every calling of man acceptable to thyself, if only thy glory be intended in it; Give us day by day the desire to do our work of whatsoever sort it be, for thine honor, and the joy of rendering it to thee well done; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Christ-Centered Lives

      O Perfect Love, who art the light of the world; Light thou this day for us, and unto this end create and confirm the habit of lovingkindness in our hearts, of prayer in our minds, that we may set thee as the sun in the center of our lives, through Jesus Christ who loveth us.  Amen.

A. S. T. Fisher

For Inward Happiness

      Grant me, O Lord, the royalty of inward happiness, and the serenity which comes from living close to thee.  Daily renew in me the sense of joy and let the eternal Spirit of the Father dwell in my soul and body, filling every corner of my heart with light and grace; so that, bearing about with me the infection of a good courage, I may be a diffuser of life, and may meet all ills, and cross accidents, with gallant and high-hearted happiness, giving thee thanks always for all things; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

L. H. M. Soulsby

For Guidance

      O Lord Jesus Christ, who art the Way, the Truth, and the Life; We pray thee suffer us not to stray from thee, who art the Way, nor to distrust thee, who art the Truth, nor to rest in any other thing than thee, who art the Life.  Teach us, by thy Holy Spirit, what to believe, what to do, and wherein to take our rest.  Amen.

Erasmus

For Joy

      O God, Author of the world’s joy, Bearer of the world’s pain; Make us glad that we are men and that we have inherited the world’s burden; deliver us from self- pity; and at the heart of all our troubles and sorrow let unconquerable gladness dwell; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

H. S. Nash

Part  II – Prayers of Confession and Forgiveness

A Confession

      Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I humbly acknowledge my manifold sins and offences against thee by thought and deed.  I have neglected opportunities of good which thou in thy love gayest me.  I have been overcome by temptations from which thou wast ready to guard me.  I have looked unto men, and not unto thee, in doing my daily work.  I have thought too little of others and too much of my own pleasure in all my plans.  But thou art ever merciful and gracious to those who turn to thee.  So now I come to thee as one whom thou wilt not cast out.  Hear, O Lord, and have mercy.  Forgive me and renew a right spirit within me, for the sake of Jesus Christ my Saviour.  Amen.

Bishop Westcott

For a Forgiving Spirit

      Deliver us, O God, from injustice, envy, hatred, and malice; give us grace to pardon all who have offended us, and to bear with one another even as thou, Lord, dost bear with us, in thy patience and great lovingkindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Rydal School Hymnal

A Confession

      O Almighty Father, Lord of heaven and earth, we confess that we have sinned against thee in thought, word, and deed.  Have mercy upon us, O God, after thy great goodness; according to the multitude of thy mercies, do away our offences and cleanse us from our sins; for Jesus Christ’s sake.  Amen.

Confession

      O Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sakes didst undergo want and shame and pain; We confess most humbly that we have refused to share the burden of thy cross; that we have denied thee rather than face mockery, and have sought comfort and security.  Forgive our sin, help us to amend and give us courage to endure.  Amen.

Prayers for Students

For a Good Conscience

      Grant, O Lord, that in thy light we may recognize our sins of thought, word, and deed, our omissions and causes of failure.  Grant us a conscience at once sensitive and sensible, and raise our standard daily into closer conformity to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

Prayers for Schools and Colleges

For God’s Mercy

      Almighty and everlasting God, who art always, more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer of Preparation

      O Heavenly Father, whose light and love search the depths of men’s hearts; Prepare us, we pray thee, for thy coming.  Fill our souls with humility, as we remember before thee the things we ought not to have done, and the good things left undone; and as we come to thee for forgiveness, purify our thoughts, strengthen our wills, kindle again in us the spirit of devotion; above all, lift us into thy very presence, that, consecrated anew to thy service, we may, with gladness and serenity, follow in the footsteps of him who came not to be ministered unto but to minister, thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

J. W. Suter

For Forgiveness

      Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace; that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

      Deliver us, O God, from the sins which do so easily beset us; from complacency, self-righteousness and a slothful spirit.  Help us to run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto him who is the author and finisher of our faith; even Jesus Christ our Lord.

      O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to hear our prayers, and spare all those who confess their sins unto thee; that they whose consciences by sin are accused, by thy merciful pardon may be absolved.

Part  III – Prayers For The Church,

Organizations, And Groups

For the Church Service League

      Almighty God, who art the Light of the minds that know thee, the Joy of the hearts that love thee and the Strength of the lives that serve thee; Help us so to know thee that we may truly love thee, and so to love thee that we may joyfully serve thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.  Amen.

Gelasian Sacramentary

A Prayer for the Whole Church

      O Eternal God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst establish the family of thy Church in all the world; Breathe upon it anew the gifts of thy Holy Spirit, that, awakening to thy command, it may go forth in lowly service and in conquering might to win mankind to the love of thy Name; through our only Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Bishop Slattery

For the Church

      O Lord Jesus Christ, true Light that lighteth every man; Be present with thy holy Church throughout all the world; that, enlightened and guided by thy Holy Spirit, she may walk in the paths of wisdom; and amid the darkness and ignorance of this present world may show forth thy light and thy truth; for the glory of thy Name, whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost together, we worship and glorify, world without end.  Amen.

A Prayer for the Diocese

      O God, whose love reacheth unto the ends of the world; Bless, we pray thee, this diocese; and grant that all who share its benefits may show forth thy glory by deeds and by gifts for the spread of thy Kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Slattery

For the Church

      O Lord Jesus Christ, head of the mystical body, thy Church, of which we are the members, cleanse our eyes to see for thee, quicken our ears to hear for thee, open our lips to show forth thy praise, give our hands skill to do what thou biddest, make our feet swift to go whither thou guidest that thy Kingdom may come and thy will may be done on earth as it is in heaven, and all for thy Love’s sake.  Amen.

Bishop Brent

For the National Council

      Almighty God, giver of wisdom, who never failest them that seek thee; Control and enlighten, we beseech thee, the hearts and minds of the National Council of thy Church; grant them insight and skill, faith and obedience to thy holy will, that being themselves led of thee, they may by thy Spirit, lead thy people on from strength to strength in the work of thy Kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Church

      O God, our Shepherd, give to the Church a new vision and a new charity, new wisdom and fresh understanding, the revival of her brightness and the renewal of her unity; that the eternal message of thy Son, undefiled by traditions of men, may be hailed as the good news of the new age; through him who maketh all things new, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Percy Dearmer

For the Church

      O God, our Father, we pray for thy Church, which is set today amid the perplexities of a changing order, and face to face with new tasks.  Baptize her afresh in the life-giving spirit of Jesus.  Bestow upon her a greater responsiveness to duty, a swifter compassion with suffering, and an utter loyalty to the will of God.  Help her to proclaim boldly the coming of the Kingdom of God.  Bid her cease from seeking her own life, lest she lose it.  Make her valiant to give up her life to humanity; that, like her crucified Master, she may mount by the path of the cross to a higher glory; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Church

      O God, pour thy Spirit upon thy Church.  Give to us deeper consecration, more steadfast purpose, an increase of faith and of courage.  Help us to be thy faithful servants and disciples; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Bishops of the Diocese

      O Heavenly Father, look down in mercy, we beseech thee, upon thy servants our Bishops, to whom thou hast given charge over this Diocese; fill them with thy grace and goodness; direct, defend, and comfort them in all their arduous labors; give them a people responsive to their leadership, loyal and loving, and grant that they, and all committed to their care, may continually glorify thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Church

      Almighty and eternal God: We humbly pray thee for thy Holy Church throughout the world; that we and all its members being inspired with living faith and love, may earnestly strive to promote the honor due to thy dear Son, and the gathering of wanderers into his fold.  Give us grace to fulfill in our lives what we profess with our lips.  Deliver us from false doctrine and slackness of living; and grant that, persevering unto the end, we may obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

A Prayer for the Parish

      Almighty God, pour thy heavenly grace, we beseech thee, upon our Parish Church; Grant to its officers a vision of its greater work; and to every member of the same give the will and strength to bring this vision into life; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

Bishop Slattery

For the Church

      O God, of unchangeable power and eternal light, look favorably on thy whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; and, by the tranquil operation of thy perpetual Providence, carry out the work of man’s salvation; and let the whole world feel and see that things which were cast down are being built up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are returning to perfection through him from whom they took their origin, Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord.  Amen.

For the Church’s Ministry

      Almighty God, who dost send thy messengers to prepare the way before thee; Endue with the power of the Holy Spirit all who go forth to preach and speak in thy name.  Touch their hearts; enlighten their minds; cleanse and instruct their lips; give them a clear vision of thy will and purpose for the whole world, and through their voice do thou call back thy Church to simpler discipleship, readier obedience, and more loving service; through thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Woman’s Auxiliary

      Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, bless, we pray thee, our work for the extension of thy Kingdom, and make us so thankful for the gift to us of thy beloved Son, that we may pray fervently, labor diligently and give liberally to make him known to all nations as their Saviour and their King; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Parish

      O God, our heavenly Father, graciously behold this congregation.  Bind together its members with cords of friendliness and sympathy.  Give us the vision of our common duty to Church and State and make us glad and strong in the doing of it.  By all the memories of a great past, rouse us to hear the calls of the present.  Grant wisdom, courage and patience to our leaders, and fill us all with the spirit of loving service; that whatsoever we do in word or deed may be done in the Name of the Lord Jesus, through whom we offer this our prayer.  Amen.

A Book of Offices

For a Rector’s Anniversary

      Almighty God, our heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be ministered unto but to minister; We give thee hearty thanks for the ministry of thy servant who, through —— years, hath given his life for a blessing to this thy flock.  We praise thy name for the lovingkindness which hath bound his heart to the hearts of this people, for his sympathy in time of joy, for his courage in time of failure, for his confidence in thee and thy promises in time of darkness and sorrow, and for his vision and aspiration in time when men must find their work and go forward to do it.  Most of all, O Lord, we thank thee that, walking with him day by day, thy children have drawn closer to that Good Shepherd who is the joy and peace of the whole world, thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Bishop Slattery

For the Church

      O Gracious Father, we humbly beseech thee for thy holy Catholic Church; that thou wouldest be pleased to fill it with all truth, in all peace.  Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it.  Where it is right, establish it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of him who died and rose again, and ever liveth to make intercession for us, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord.  Amen.

The Book of Common Prayer

For the Brotherhood of St. Andrew

      Almighty God, who didst give such grace unto thy holy Apostle Saint Andrew, that he readily obeyed the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him without delay; Grant unto us all that we, being called by thy holy Word, may forthwith give up ourselves obediently to fulfill thy holy commandments; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Order of Sir Galahad

      Almighty God, who didst raise up knights of old to serve and bravely to strive for right and truth; Make, we pray thee, all members of the Order of Sir Galahad constant in helpfulness, obedience, truth, chivalry, and service, that they may be strong to do thy will and evermore honor thee as knights of the present day; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the United Thank Offering

      O Lord, our Heavenly Father, we pray thee to send forth more laborers into thy harvest, and to grant them thy special grace for every need.  Guard and guide the workers in the field, and draw us into closer fellowship with them.  Dispose the hearts of all women everywhere to give gladly as thou hast given to them.  Accept, from grateful hearts, our United Thank Offering of prayer and gifts and joyful service; and bless it to the coming of thy Kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Church Periodical Club

      Bless, O Lord, we pray thee, the Church Periodical Club, that it may be an instrument of service in thy hands.  Grant to its officers wisdom and patience, to its members perseverance and the spirit of sharing that asks no return.  Bring many more to take part in its activities.  Bless our gifts and those who receive them, to the enriching of individual lives and to the growth of thy Kingdom throughout the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Our Work

      O God, give us a pure heart, a clear mind, and a steadfast will, that all our work may be to the honor of him who hath honored us with his love and fellowship, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

Prayer of The Daughters of the King

      O Eternal Father, who has sent us thy Son to teach us things pertaining to thy Heavenly Kingdom; give thy blessing, we beseech thee, to our Order wherever it may be throughout the world; vouchsafe that we, thy Daughters, ever may discern thy truth, and bear the Cross, through the battles of our earthly life; give us strength to overcome temptation, and grace that we may strive to spread thy Kingdom and to gather thy dispersed sheep within thy fold; pour out upon us the seven-fold gift of thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forget that it is thy work which we are called upon to do, that we may think nothing, do nothing and say nothing which may injure ourselves, our neighbor or thy Holy work.  We ask it all for his sake, our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

For the Young People’s Fellowship

      O God, our Heavenly Father, in life’s morning we come to thee for guidance through its entire day.  Help us always to follow Jesus in the paths of righteousness.  Walking in his footsteps may we, as he did before us, not only increase in wisdom and stature, but also in favor with thee and our fellowmen.  Keep us in thy love that we may glorify thee in our labor and our life.  Bless us with health and strength and purity, and give us a will to serve thee in every good work, so that we may make a better world for all people to live in here, and become worthy of thy Presence in a brighter world hereafter; for Jesus’ sake.  Amen.

Bishop Murray

For the Guild of St. Barnabas for Nurses

      O Merciful God, and Heavenly Father, we beseech thee for all who minister to the sick and suffering; and especially we pray thee for the members of the Guild of St. Barnabas for Nurses; vouchsafe to them thy protection and care wheresoever they may be, in home or hospital or mission field (or at the seat of war).  Give them skill and courage, patience, love and self-control.  May they bring to all who are ministered to by them the sense of thy compassionate Presence.  This we ask in the name of him who healed the sick, thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

For Our Work

      O God, with whom a thousand years are as one day, and who hast called us whose lives pass as a watch in the night unto thy service; Grant that we may so do our work that it shall not need to be undone.  Stay, we beseech thee, the fever in our hearts, and help us to walk in the light of thine own eternity, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For a Committee

      Vouchsafe, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to prosper with thy blessing the work of this committee.  Grant that we who serve thee therein may seek only thy glory, and do that which is well pleasing in thy sight, and persevere in thy service; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Altar Guild

      O Loving Saviour, we pray thee to send thy blessing upon this Altar Guild and the work of all its members; give us thy grace that we may be loyal to thy Holy Church, and faithful in our care of holy things.  Grant that as we adorn and make ready thy Altar we may learn greater love and reverence for all that belongs to thy service, and through all outward symbols come to a clearer vision of the inward and spiritual truth taught by them.  We ask this for thy sake, O Blessed Lord and Master.  Amen.

For the Order of the Fleur de Lis

      O God, who hast called woman to a high place of honor and power in thy kingdom; Look with favor, we pray thee, upon thy handmaidens of the Fleur de Lis.  Strengthen us to hold fast to the vow of stainless life.  Make our loyalty to the Church generous and strong.  And daily cause us to see that by serving others we serve thee.  Hear our prayer, we beseech thee, through him who is our hero, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Joy and Gladness

      Almighty God, at whose right hand are pleasures forevermore; We pray thee to make our religion one of joy and brightness, and to dispel from our minds all doubt and gloom.  Grant that day by day our lips may be singing thy praise, and our hearts be gladdened in holy anticipation of the life that knows no ending; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Use of the Women of the Diocese

      O Almighty God, who art the Guide and Support of those who serve thee; Give light to our path and strength to our hearts, we beseech thee.

      Amidst pressing duties keep our thoughts high and our faith serene; before difficult problems prompt us to turn to thee for guidance; in disappointment or defeat enable us to face the future with cheer and courage; in success teach us to be grateful and humble.

      Knit us together in bonds of spiritual unity, we pray thee.

      When our thoughts centre upon ourselves hold before us the vision of thy great Church, the Saints, Martyrs and Missionaries of old and of today.  Recall to us the victories of faith and repeat again to us the promise of thy Church Triumphant.

      So we may work on confidently with thee for the coming of thy Kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Lawrence

For Any Society

      O God our Father, who hast called us to thy service (in ——); Give us a clear understanding of thy will and bright courage to obey; and so unite us to thyself and in thee to one another, that, knowing in our own souls the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, we may proclaim with power the fellowship of all men in thee; through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord.  Amen.

Westminster Prayers

For the Girls’ Friendly Society

      O Lord, our Heavenly Father, we beseech thee to bless us and all who belong to the Girls’ Friendly Society.  Strengthen and protect us by thy fatherly love; and vouchsafe to us the guidance of thy Holy Spirit.  Help us all to bear one another’s burdens, and to live, not for ourselves, but for others, as members of one family in Christ; cleanse us from our sins, make us holy by the indwelling of thy Holy Spirit, and bring us all at last to the joy of thy Heavenly Kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Any Guild

      O God, who knowest that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but that all our sufficiency is of thee; Assist us with thy grace in all our work for others, direct us in it by thy wisdom, support us by thy power, that doing our duty diligently we may bring it to a good end, so that it may be profitable to our own souls and tend to the greater glory of thy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Treasury of Devotion

For Travelers

      O God, who ever bestowest thy mercy on them that love thee, and unto those that serve thee art always near; Direct the way of thy servants, that, thou being their protector and guide, they may finish their journey in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Grey Book

For Any Group

      O God, Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful, visit, we pray thee, this class with thy love and favor; enlighten their minds more and more with the light of the everlasting gospel; graft in their hearts a love of the truth; increase in them true religion; nourish them with all goodness; and of thy great mercy keep them in the same, O blessed Spirit, whom, with the Father and the Son together, we worship and glorify as one God, world without end.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For the Absent

      O God, whose fatherly care reacheth to the uttermost parts of the earth; We humbly beseech thee graciously to behold and bless those whom we love, now absent from us.  Defend them from all dangers of soul and body; and grant that both they and we, drawing nearer to thee, may be bound together by thy love in the communion of thy Holy Spirit, and in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

A Prayer of Youth

      O God our Creator, help us to remember thee now in the days of our youth, and dedicate to thy service our souls and bodies, to be used as thou commandest; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers for Schools and Colleges

For Those Confirmed

      Almighty and everliving God, who hast knit together in one communion and fellowship all those in every place who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; We heartily thank thee that, by the guidance of thy Holy Spirit, these thy servants have been led to dedicate their lives to thee in Confirmation; and we humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, that through thy grace both they, and we, may ever continue in this holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Page

For the Weak and Lonely

      Show thy loving kindness, O Lord, to all who stand in need of thy help.  Be with the weak to make them strong and with the strong to make them gentle.  Cheer the lonely with thy company and the distracted with thy solitude.  Prosper thy Church in the fulfillment of her mighty task, and grant thy blessing to all who toil in Christ’s name.  Amen.

Dr. John Baillie

To Be True Messengers

      O God, keep our hearts sound, our lives pure, our thinking straight, and our spirits humble, that we may be true messengers of thy life to our fellow men; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

Stewardship of Money

      Almighty God, whose loving hand hath given us all that we possess; Grant us grace that we may honor thee with our substance, and, remembering the account which we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of thy bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For Cleansing From Pride

      O Thou high and lofty One that inhabitest eternity, whose name is Holy, thou hast promised to dwell with those that are of a contrite and humble spirit; we therefore pray thee to cleanse our hearts from every stain of pride and vainglory, that though the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, yet thou mayest consent to abide with us for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Consecration

      Almighty God, if we have faltered because we are afraid, and if we are afraid because we dare not face the difficult tasks to which thou art calling us, grant us serene confidence and quiet courage and indomitable perseverance, that we may face discouragement and failure and even humiliating defeat in our endeavor to consecrate our bodies, minds, and souls for the advancement of thy kingdom.  We pray in the name of him who failed on Calvary, and by his failure opened unto us the gate of everlasting life, even Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Ralph M. Harper

Closing Prayer

      O God, our Father, accept our united thanksgiving and prayers, and bestow upon us thy servants who have bound ourselves together in this fellowship the gifts we ask of thee.  Grant that, assisted by each other’s prayers, we may receive from thee and reveal to the world something of the deep, unselfish love first taught the world by him, the greatness of whose love and sacrifice has won and saved us all, even Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Spirit of Christ

      Lord Jesus, who didst stretch out thine arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that all men might come within the reach of thy saving embrace; Clothe us in thy Spirit, that we stretching forth our hands in loving labor for others, may bring those who know thee not to the knowledge and love of thee, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest one God forever.  Amen.

Bishop Brent

For the Spirit of Adventure

      O Thou who art heroic love, keep alive in our hearts that adventurous spirit which makes men scorn the way of safety, so that thy will be done.  For so only, O Lord, shall we be worthy of those courageous souls who in every age have ventured all in obedience to thy call, and for whom the trumpets have sounded on the other side; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Grey Book

For a Share in God’s Purpose

      O God of endless years; Give to each of us, in this little day of life which remains, some share in the working out of thy eternal purposes for men.  Show us where we may stand in the battle, and arm us for the fight.  Fill our weakness with thy strength; touch our hearts with thy love; gird us with a measure of thy great patience, and cheer us with the confidence of final victory through thee; that so, through the life which we now live in the flesh, there may shine some token of thy presence; to our own eternal benefit and to the blessing of our fellow-men; through him who is the Captain of our Salvation, and the rich reward of those who give their lives to him, thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Closing Prayer

      O God, our Father, have regard to our prayers, answer them according to thy will, and make us the channels of thine infinite love and helpfulness, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

John Hunter

For the Indwelling Christ

      O Christ, our only Saviour, so dwell within us that we may go forth with the light of hope in our eyes, and the fire of inspiration on our lips, thy word on our tongues and thy love in our hearts.  Amen.

Adveniat Regnum

For Direction

      Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favor, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For Quiet Confidence

      O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength; by the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

Part  IV – Prayers For Children And Christian Education

CHILDREN’S PRAYERS

A Prayer for Every Day

My God, I offer thee today,

Whate’er I think or do or say.

Teach me, dear Lord, thy holy will,

Help me my duty to fulfill.  Amen.

A Daily Prayer

      O God, my loving Father, bless me at school today and help me to be attentive; bless me at home today and help me to be obedient; bless me at games today and help me to be unselfish; bless me at meals today and help me to be thankful, for Jesus’ Sake.  Amen.

John Oxenham

For Religious Education

      O God, inspirer and teacher of men, who art the truth thou lovest; Send out thy light and illumine us.  Give us a deep and clear knowledge of ourselves.  Help us to a growing knowledge of our world.  Confirm in us the holiness of true reason.  Strengthen in us the aspiration towards noble and spacious thinking, and in thy good time bring us to thy holy hill, where lifted above the clouds of prejudice and the mists of passion we shall think thine own thoughts after thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For Fearlessness

      Lord of all power and might, in whose honor and for whose love we give our best, grant us strength and fearlessness when hard things face us, and keep us mindful of him who gave life itself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Christian Nurture Series

      Give me clean hands, clean words and clean thoughts.  Help me to stand for the hard right against the easy wrong.  Save me from habits that harm.  Teach me to work as hard and play as fair in thy sight alone as if the whole world saw.  Forgive me when I am unkind and help me to forgive others who are unkind to me.  Send me chances to do a little good every day and so grow more like Christ.  Amen.

For Foreign Students

      O God, the Father of all mankind, we would remember before thee the men and women who come from many lands to study in our universities.  Guide and protect them in the difficulties and temptations which beset them in their new surroundings.  Keep alive in their hearts the love of all that is good in their home life, and give them also insight to appreciate and share that which is good in ours.  Pardon the faults of temper and manners by which we so often offend them; and grant unto us true humility, love and patience, that we may welcome them in the spirit of the Master whom we desire to serve.  Amen.

Prayers for Students

For Teachers

      O God the Holy Ghost, who dost enlighten the hearts of the faithful; Grant, we beseech thee, to all teachers insight alike into the truths they are to teach and the minds they are to guide.  May their tongues be touched by Pentecostal fire, that they may be understood of all whom they instruct.  Let no monotony of routine stifle their ardour, but do thou, who dost forever breathe life into thy creation, renew their power and their love from day to day.  Preserve them in patience, fidelity, and ever fresh delight in their high calling and lead them, with all who have been under their care, until that day when all pilgrims of truth shall rejoice together in the unveiled vision of the Wisdom which is above.  This we beseech thee who dost lead us into all truth, and whom with the Father and the Son we worship and glorify, world without end.  Amen.

To Be Led By Christ

      O Eternal God, who hast set within us a spirit which answers to thine own, give us the faith to follow that image of Jesus which thy spirit can keep so plainly before us. To our questioning hearts he is ever the answer. Teach us to be led by him in pursuit of thee until we find thee, and let the whole world feel and see, that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which have grown old are being made new, through him whose good cheer can overcome the world, the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Grey Book

For Goodness

      O Heavenly Father, make us, we pray thee, such children as Jesus was; quick to obey, glad to be taught, and never afraid to speak the truth.  May we hurt nobody by word or deed, but all day long be good to others, as thou, dear Lord, hast been most kind to us.  We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Christian Nurture Series

For Freedom Through the Truth

      Break, O Lord, we beseech thee, the bonds of every tyranny that enslaves the faith, and scatter all superstitions which corrupt the truth; that rejoicing in that liberty wherewith thy Son hath made us free, we may learn to worship thee in spirit and in truth; through the same, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

A Book of Collects

For Steadfastness

      O God, who in thy wisdom hast ordained the course of the world in a wonderful and orderly manner; We thank thee for the changeful seasons of the year, for seed-time and harvest, summer and winter, night and day.  As thou, amid recurring changes, ever remainest the same, grant that we, amid the changes of this mortal life, may ever remain steadfast in the Faith, and unshaken in our love of thee and of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers for Schools and Colleges

For Truth

      O God of all wisdom and knowledge, teach us to know that every discovery of truth is a discovery of thee, and that the more we learn of thy laws and thy ways among men, the nearer we are brought to an understanding of thy divine Being; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers for Schools and Colleges

For the Church School

      Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who art the only Source of light and life; Send down upon this school the rich gifts of thy good Spirit, that thy Truth may be sincerely sought, faithfully received, and obediently followed.  Endue its teachers with wisdom, zeal, and patience.  Inspire its scholars with the spirit of truth, honor and humility.  May they, day by day, grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

For Guidance in Learning

      God of truth, who hast guided men in knowledge throughout the ages, and from whom every good thought cometh, help us in our study to use thy gifts of wisdom and knowledge.  Let us read good books carefully, and listen to all wise teaching humbly, that we may be led into all truth, and strengthened in all goodness of life, to the praise of thy holy Name.  Amen.

Rowland Williams

To Glorify God

      O Thou, who art the Lord of our lives, help us to glorify thee in all the thoughts of our minds, in all the desires of our hearts, in all the words of our lips, in all the work of our hands, and in all the ways of our feet, as becometh those who are trying to follow our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Book of Prayers for Schools

For Schools and Colleges

      Further, O Lord, with thy blessing the work of our schools, colleges and universities (especially —— ); that students and teachers alike may follow after thy wisdom, and grow into knowledge of the truth; to the advancement of thy purpose in Church and State; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Westminster Prayers

For Confidence

      Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ came into the world to be the Light of the World and to teach men the abiding values of life; Grant unto us the confidence and courage which these days demand.  Let us remember that as the darkness of the world in those far-off days could not extinguish the light of thy love, so today, if we can only lift up our eyes in confidence, we may behold it still shining and still seeking to guide us towards the true values of life as revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Page

For a School

      Almighty God, in whom we live and move and have our being, make this school as a field which the Lord hath blessed, that whatsoever things are true, pure, lovely, and of good report may here forever flourish and abound.  Preserve in it an unblemished name, enlarge it with a wider usefulness, and exalt it in the love and reverence of all its members as an instrument of thy glory, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Henry Hayman

For Teachers and Children

      Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who hast committed to thy holy Church the care and nurture of thy children; Enlighten with thy wisdom those who teach and those who learn, that rejoicing in the knowledge of thy truth, they may worship thee and serve thee from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For Our Work

      O God, who workest in love unceasingly, and dost give to each man his appointed task; help us steadfastly and as in thy sight to fulfill the duties of our calling; so that when our Lord shall take account of us, we may be found faithful in this little thing and enter into his eternal joy; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Grey Book

Teach Us to Be Still

      O Lord, teach us to be still before thee until our ears have caught thine accents and our eyes have glimpsed thy truth.  Then, O God, open thou our lips and our mouths shall show forth thy praise, and bear witness to thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For a Blessing on Our Work

      O Good and gracious Father; Be present with us, and grant that all things that we take in hand may begin in knowledge, proceed in fear of thee, and end in love, that all our work may be blessed by thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

J. Norden (Adapted)

For Courage

      O God, our Father, quicken, we beseech thee, in us the spirit of courage.  May we perform with hopeful minds the duties of this day, believing that with thy help we can fashion something good out of whatever material the day provides; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Knowledge of the Truth

      O God Eternal, grant us such a love of thy truth that we may learn the truth of thy love, and find the path beneath our feet rising to the light, until at last, by thy good grace, we shall know the truth that sets us free; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Joseph Fort Newton

For Loyalty

      O Jesus Christ, the Lord of all good life, who hast called us to build the city of God: Do thou enrich and purify our lives and deepen in us our discipleship.  Help us daily to know more of thee, and through us, by the power of thy Spirit, show forth thyself to other men.  Make us humble, brave, and loving: make us ready for adventure.  We do not ask that thou wilt keep us safe, but that thou wilt keep us loyal: who for us didst face death unafraid, and dost live and reign for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Grey Book

For Knowledge

      Grant to us, O Lord, to know that which is worth knowing, to love that which is worth loving, to praise that which can bear with praise, to hate what in thy sight is unworthy, to prize what to thee is precious, and above all to search out and to do what is well-pleasing unto thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Thomas à Kempis

For the Spirit of Gladness

      O God, Master of life, thou hast given us a work to do.  Give us strength to do it with gladness and singleness of heart.  And when it is done, grant that we may be worthy of a place in thy Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash (Adapted)

Religious Education

      O God, who hast sent thy beloved Son to be unto us the Way, the Truth and the Life; Grant that we, looking unto him, may set forward the teaching power of thy Church, to the nurture of thy children, the increase of thy Kingdom and the glory of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Instruction

      Thou Holy Spirit of God, that dost prefer before all temples the upright heart and pure, instruct us in all truth; what in us is dark, illumine, what is low, raise and support; what is shallow, deepen; that every chapter of our lives may witness to thy power and justify the ways of God to men.  In the name of Jesus, the giver of all grace.  Amen.

John Milton

For Imagination

      Lord Jesus, who in little children didst behold the symbol of the Kingdom of heaven; Grant unto us the gift of imagination.  Help us to see, as thou didst, the possibilities of saintliness in all sorts and conditions of men, the heroic in the commonplace, and the glamour of the eternal in the incidents of daily life.  May we see thine image in those around us, and behold the glory of God in the common round and humble duties of the life we live; for thy Name’s sake, who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, art one God, world without end.  Amen.

Prayers for Schools and Colleges

For a Conference Group

      Grant, O Lord, we pray thee, that as we seek for truth we may find that the search leads us to thyself.  Give us courage to seek honestly and reverence to seek humbly; and when our minds are perplexed, and we cannot find thee, give us patience and light to go on with our work until at length we come into thy Presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers for Students (Adapted)

For God’s Commission

Master and Lord,

Keep us this day in thy presence,

Fence round our hearts with thy love and thy purity

That no evil thing may come near us.

Purge us from all selfish motive and ambition;

Teach us to love our fellowmen

With a love that shall be thy love breaking into the world through us.

Illumine our souls with a clear and glorious perception of spiritual reality,

With a knowledge of thy divine beauty and truth,

That shall fill us with joy and peace,

Make us messengers of thy grace,

Ambassadors of God among men.

Make us doorways through which thou, thyself, mayest enter freely into thy world.

                        Amen.

Prayers for an Indian College

Part  V – Prayers For Missions

For City Missions

      O God, who didst send thy Son not to be ministered unto, but to minister; Strengthen us to serve even as he served.  May the sick in hospitals, the offenders in jails, the lonely and unknown on our ships, mothers tired and overworked, children sick and feeble, and all sorts and conditions of thy people receive of our sympathy and our service, made practical by such means as we can employ for their relief and comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

E. J. Dennen

General Missions

      O God, who hast made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the whole earth, and didst send thy blessed Son to preach peace to them that are far off and to them that are nigh; Grant that all men everywhere may seek after thee and find thee.  Bring the nations into thy fold, pour out thy Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten thy Kingdom; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For Rural Work

      Blessed Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd of the sheep, whose flocks are upon a thousand hills, who hast put into our hearts the hope of a better country; Bless all who search for thy sheep in scattered places, that they may fetch them home to thee; who art with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end.  Amen.

For Diocesan Missionaries

      Blessed Lord, who hast taught us to pray for one another; Send thy blessing, we beseech thee, upon the missionary clergy and workers in this diocese.  Give them the help of thy grace that they may serve with patience, steadfastness and love, and press forward constantly to extend the work of thy Kingdom.  Open the doors of opportunity before them, support them in loneliness and discouragement, and give power to the preaching of thy word.  Grant that many by their ministry may be built up in thy holy faith.  And we beseech thee, bind all together in the unity of the Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Fellow Workers in Christ

      Bestow, O Lord, thy heavenly grace upon all who are called to be fellow workers with thee, that by them Christ may be lifted up in every land and all men drawn to him.  In times of loneliness and weariness cheer them with thy Presence; in disappointment give them patience; in the press of affairs keep their spirits fresh; in difficulties and dangers uphold and protect them; in success keep them humble of heart; in failure strengthen them to persevere.  Make them to be joyful in spirit, steadfast in faith, zealous in service, and at all times deepen in them the sense of dependence upon thee, and give them peace in thy service; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

C. M. S. Handbook

For Missionaries

      O God, who never failest to go with those thou sendest; Bless thy servants (especially —— ) whom thou hast chosen to bear thy name before the dwellers in the uttermost part of the earth, that they may have wisdom to know, strength to do, patience to suffer and courage to persevere in thy service; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Brent

For the Church’s Mission

      O God our Heavenly Father, we thank thee for the gift of thy dear Son.  Grant that we who have received him in our hearts may joyfully go forth with him on many errands.  Bless those who toil for thee in far off places.  Comfort them in their loneliness and unite our work to theirs.  Accept our gifts, receive our prayers, and use us for the sake of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Hastening the Kingdom

      O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast taught us that to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required, grant that we, whose lot is cast in this Christian heritage, may strive more earnestly, by prayer and giving, by sympathy and study, to hasten the coming of thy Kingdom among all peoples of the earth, that as we have entered into the labours of others, so others may enter into ours; to thy honor and glory.  Amen.

A. S. T. Fisher

For Missionaries

      Almighty and most merciful God, we humbly beseech thee, to pour out thy Holy Spirit upon all our missionaries at home and abroad, especially —— .  Crown their labors with success in the gathering of souls into thy Kingdom.  Strengthen them, we pray thee, with thy good Spirit, and comfort them with a sense of thy presence, that they may work and teach to the upbuilding of thy Kingdom.  Make us to realize that they are doing our work and grant us grace to support them out of the wealth of good things which thou hast bestowed upon us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Missionaries

      O Thou who dost call men and women to carry the good news of Jesus Christ to all nations; Grant thy strengthening grace to all who have responded to thy call.  Give them vision to see the greatness of their service, and humility to see their own unworthiness.  Guide them in all their preparation, enriching the good gifts which they already possess, and supplying those which they lack.  Give them happiness and peace, insight and adaptability, courage and good judgment.  Make them ready to learn as well as to give, that they may truly show forth Jesus, not only in their words but in their lives.  Amen.

Prayers for Students

For Mission Hospitals

      O Lord, the Healer of all our diseases, who knowest how the sick have need of a physician; Let thy perpetual providence guide and direct the work of mission hospitals throughout the world.  Instruct all whom thou hast called to be sharers in thine own work of healing; that the pain and grief of the world may be lightened, and the bounds of thy Kingdom enlarged; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the National Churches

      O Almighty God, who hast in Christ revealed thy glory unto all nations; We humbly pray thee that thou wouldest be pleased to bless thy Church in every land whither thy Word has gone.  Raise up a zealous and faithful company of ministers, that the people may hear in their own tongue the wonderful works of God.  Grant to all converts loyalty and obedience toward thee, steadfastness in the Faith, and love one toward another; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Praise and Petition

      Almighty God, the Father of all mankind, with all the company of thy servants in heaven and on earth, we worship thee and praise thy Holy Name.  So quicken our hearts to love thee, our eyes to behold thee, our souls to desire thee, that we and all thy Church may see as thou seest, our fellow-men in every land, and may hear with gladness the call to preach the Gospel of thy Son to every creature.  Amen.

Prayers for Students

For Vision

      Almighty God, whose Kingdom is everlasting and power infinite; Inspire all men, we beseech thee, with so clear a vision of thy perfection that they may love the thing which thou commandest and desire that which thou dost promise.  Gather the nations under thy rule and draw the people to thine obedience; that peace and righteousness, truth and justice, religion and piety may be established in the earth for all generations, through the grace of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Mission Schools

      O Thou true Light, that lightest every man that cometh into the world; Do thou in thy mercy touch the hearts and lighten the understandings of all who teach and of all who learn in Christian schools; that they may readily acknowledge, and cheerfully obey, all that thou wouldest have them believe and practice; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

For Zeal

      Lord of all power and might, who rulest in heaven and in earth, and canst turn the hearts of men after the counsel of thine own will; We humbly pray thee to awaken in all thy people such a deep sense of their privilege to maintain and set forward the work of thy holy Church throughout all the world, that by their faith and zeal thy blessed Name may be glorified, and the bounds of thy Kingdom be enlarged; through Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Redeemer.  Amen.

For Workers in Lonely Places

      O Father Almighty and God of all comfort; Look with compassion, we beseech thee, upon the little companies of our faithful brethren who, in lonely places of the world, are striving to uphold the banner of the Cross.  If the comfort of human sympathy seem far from them, be thou their close companion, and pour into their hearts the spirit of hope; that they may steadfastly persevere, and be of good courage because of thy word, knowing that their labor is not in vain; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Vision and Zeal

      Pour out, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Spirit upon thy Church, that into all its members may come new visions, new life, new fellowship with Christ, its living Head.  Send us out, if thou wilt, and through us send out many another to work for the extension of thy Kingdom throughout the world.  Open our hearts that we may receive thy power; open our eyes that we may see Christ with hands outstretched to bless.  Do with us what thou wilt and as thou wilt.  So shall the earth be filled with the knowledge of thyself as the waters cover the sea.  And to thee be the glory and praise, now and forevermore.  Amen.

A Prayer for the Church Home Society

      O Lord, Jesus Christ, who said, “Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven,” we pray thee for the Church Home Society, that thy spirit may rest upon officers and workers.  Especially we pray for the children that their needs may be met with wisdom and love.  Grant that all of us may realize that in this service we are serving thee, who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, art One God, world without end.  Amen.

Bishop Sherrill

Part  VI – Prayers For Christian Unity

And Social Service

A Prayer for Service

      Teach us, good Lord, to serve thee as thou deservest; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Loyola

For Courage

      Valiant Lord, who in our very nature didst fight to win, and labor to achieve; Clothe us with thy valour, that we of thy household, being delivered from the fear of living as Christians, may unite, as comrades in service, to attack the problems of our troubled day with serene mind and victorious will, till our last foe is vanquished and our last task finished; to thy honor and glory, who livest and reignest, God, for evermore.  Amen.

Bishop Brent

For the Glory of Servanthood

      O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of man, who came not to be ministered unto but to minister; Give us grace, we humbly beseech thee, to lay aside the garments of our vanity; and so gird us with thy power, and crown us with thy humility, that finally, in the glory of servanthood we may stand beside thy throne, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit thou reignest, one God, world without end.  Amen.

J. W. Suter, Jr.

A Prayer of Dedication

      O God, our Father, we dedicate ourselves anew to thee and thy service.  Put into the heart of each one of us such a love for thee that we may truly love our neighbors as ourselves – a love that leaps the boundaries of race or color or creed or kind, that knows no distinction of class, that reaches out a saving hand even unto the least of these our brethren.  Fill our lives with the single motive of service, and use us, Lord, use us for thine own purposes just as thou wilt, and when and where; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Scarlett

For Insight

      Jesus, our Master and our Friend, who claimest our service through the needs of our neighbors; Grant us so to see thy image in all our fellow-creatures that in serving mankind we may minister to thee, the living Saviour of the world.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For Unity

      O Lord and Father of all mankind, unite the hearts of thy children of whatever race or creed, of whatever land or clime, in one great fellowship of the spirit.  Let no unworthy thing separate us from one another or from thee.  May we have unity of life, of hope, of faith and of service, that thy divine Kingdom may come to this troubled world, through Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

For Everyday Tasks

      O God, whose splendor fills the world, yet who revealest thyself in the song of a bird, in the face of a flower, in a cup of cold water given to a brother man; Mercifully grant that all our purest visions may ever tend to the plainest duty, and our holiest aspirations touch and transfigure the tasks of every day; that we may serve thy holy will, not fitfully, but in constancy and joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Joseph Fort Newton

A Prayer for Good Cheer

      O God, Master of men, help us, as long as we live, to live nobly, to thy praise and to the good cheer of our fellow men; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For the Healing of Social Disorders

      O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast exalted our human nature by making it the tabernacle and instrument of the Godhead, that all mankind may become one in thee; Heal the schisms and differences that separate man from man and rend the human family.  Give honor and sympathy to the prosperous; forbearance and courage to the poor.  And so drive away all selfishness, prejudice, and misunderstanding that we may be knit by the bands of love into one holy brotherhood in thee, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.  Amen.

For Church Unity

      O God, who didst plan the Gospel for an undivided Church; refuse not, because of the misunderstandings of its message which rend the unity of Christendom, to continue thy saving work in the broken order of our making.  Prosper the labors of all churches bearing the name of Christ and striving to further righteousness and faith in him.  Help us to place the truth above our conception of it, and joyfully to recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit wherever he may choose to dwell among men; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Joy of Brotherhood

      O God, Creator of the world, Father of mankind; We thank thee for the blessing of life, for the joy of being thy sons.  Inspire us, we pray thee, to faithful service in thy family on earth.  Make us to know the infinite debt we owe our fellowmen, and let no pride of circumstance or narrowness of mind keep us from full and free communion with our brethren.  And this we ask through the merits of him who called himself the Son of Man, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For Church Unity

      Grant, O Lord, that as there is one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, and one hope of our calling; so thy Church being made again one Body, may draw all nations into unity; through him who wills that all men should be one, even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

For Christian Unity

      O God of Peace, who through thy Son Jesus Christ didst set forth one Faith for the salvation of mankind; Send thy grace and heavenly blessing upon all Christian people who are striving to draw nearer to thee, and to each other, in the unity of the Spirit and in the bond of peace.  Give us penitence for our divisions, wisdom to know thy truth, courage to do thy will, love which shall break down the barriers of pride and prejudice, and an unswerving loyalty to thy holy Name.  Suffer us not to shrink from any endeavor, which is in accordance with thy will, for the peace and unity of thy Church.  Give us boldness to seek only thy glory and the advancement of thy Kingdom.  Unite us all in thee as thou, O Father, with thy Son and the Holy Spirit, art one God, world without end.  Amen.

Bishop Anderson

For Peace in the Common Life

      O Master of the hearts of men, make us to be ill content with any peace save that of our Saviour who won his peace, after he had made the world’s ills his own.  Hold us back when, in our vulgar pride, we would go apart from the path and the life of the lowly.  As our Saviour made the carpenter’s shop his school and from it passed to the perfection of Calvary, so may we keep ourselves close to the lives of the great body of men, and pass through things common unto the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For Radiance

      O Lord Jesus Christ, who art the Light of the world; Shine, we beseech thee, into our hearts by faith, and so fill us with thy radiance that we shall appear unto all men as the children of light, to the praise of thy holy Name; who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest one God, world without end.  Amen.

For a Realization of Stewardship

      O Eternal God, who hast committed unto us the swift and solemn trust of life, since we know not what a day may bring forth, but only that the hour for serving thee is always present: Grant that we may give ourselves with a ready will to make thy way known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.  Teach us, our Father, by thine infinite love for us and for all men, to love those whom we have not seen, but with whom we may share the good things thou hast entrusted to us.  Help us to pray instantly, to give liberally, and to work diligently, that the coming of thy Kingdom may be hastened; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Part  VII – Prayers for Christian Citizenship

For Loyalty

      Almighty God, grant us thy gift of loyalty. For our homes, give us love and obedience; for our country, sacrifice and service; for our Church, reverence and devotion; and in everything make us true to thee, through thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Bishop Slattery

For Christlikeness

      O Almighty God, who hast inspired thy Church through the teaching of thy holy Apostles; Grant that standing fast in the unity of the faith, we may all come unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honor and glory, both now and evermore.  Amen.

A Book of Collects

For Our Legislators and Leaders

      Almighty God, grant and continue unto us a succession of legislators and leaders who have been taught the wisdom of the Kingdom of Christ.  Endow the President and all members of Congress, state and city legislators, with a right understanding, a pure purpose and sound speech; enable them to rise above all self-seeking and party zeal into the larger sentiments of public good and human brotherhood.  Purge our political life of every evil.  Inspire us with calmness and self-restraint, and the endeavor to get thy will done everywhere upon the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

John Hunter

For Freedom from Fear

      We thank thee, O God, for the endless renewing of life.  Thou that art never weary of setting us free from the bonds wherewith we have bound ourselves, make us to walk in this new day without fear of any kind of bondage.  Open our eyes to receive new light; open our ears to hear the voices that are calling to us to make the world new by the power of love.  Enlarge our souls with a divine charity, that we may hope all things, endure all things, and become messengers of thy healing mercy to the grievances and infirmities of men.  Fit us for the task that is ours, and endue us with the spirit of that heavenly Kingdom which is to come upon the earth, when all shall be brothers and men shall be the people of God; through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

James Martineau (Adapted)

For International Fellowship

      O God, who hast appointed a day when the kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ; Quicken our loyalty to thee that we may now and always choose thy will as our will, thy way as our way, thy peace as our peace.  So lock our fortunes to thy purpose (in these days of perplexity) that we may be satisfied with nothing less than a world at unity with itself; and, in abiding fellowship, win for mankind that freedom and mutual trust which will enable all nations to bring their glory and honor into thy Kingdom; through him who came to set men free, Jesus our King.  Amen.

Bishop Brent

For International Relations

      Show unto the nations, O Father of all, how to rise above the causes that divide us, and to seek in faith a world made one in the love of thee; that we may win our way to justice, freedom, and peace, not by might, nor by power, but by thy Spirit in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Westminster Prayers

For Our Nation

      Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, bless our nation that it may be a blessing to the world; grant that our ideals and aspirations may be in accordance with thy will.  Keep us from hypocrisy in feeling or action.  Grant us sound government and just laws, good education and a clean press, simplicity and justice in our relations with one another, and, above all, a spirit of service which will abolish pride of place and inequality of opportunity; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Grey Book

For Those Working in Local Government

      Lord of power, and Giver of grace and wisdom, we commend to thee all who are engaged in local government.  Grant to them pure hearts, clean hands, and unfailing devotion to the cause of righteousness.  Let all they think and speak and do be for thy glory and the good of thy people; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers for the City of God

For Every Man in His Business

      O God, who orderest all things both in heaven and earth; Grant that every man according to the business which he hath undertaken among the sons of men may know that he is thy servant therein, and whatsoever his hand findeth to do may do it in thy service and to thy glory; for Jesus Christ’s sake.  Amen.

Canterbury Prayers

For the Coming of the Kingdom

      Almighty God, we pray thee for the coming of thy Kingdom of righteousness and peace.  In the midst of a changing social order may faith in thee and obedience to the teachings of thy dear Son prevail, to build a new life of love in which the ills of this present time may disappear and the glad day of brotherhood and mutual service may dawn.  Strengthen all the agencies of thy Church which are laboring for the happiness and welfare of all people, that they may find in thee their salvation and their peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Spirit of Brotherhood

      O God, the King of righteousness, lead us, we pray thee, in the ways of justice and of peace; inspire us to break down all oppression and wrong, to gain for every man his due reward; and from every man his due service; that each may live for all, and all may care for each, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

S. P. C. K.

For Right Living

      O God, help us so to think and so to live, that through our life and mind thy being and purpose may be revealed with convincing clearness and commanding beauty; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For Grace to Forgive

      Merciful God, in whose dear Son we have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins; Give us such strong belief in this the only power that can abolish evil that we shall be enabled to forgive our enemies; and grant us grace not only to forgive but to accept forgiveness through Christ, the crucified.  Amen.

For Zeal to Do God’s Will

      O God, give us a clearer vision and more steadfast will.  Save us from false judgment of others through rash conceit and an unloving pride; save us from the indolence which shrinks from labor, and the carelessness which takes no heed of great issues; save us from the fear that will not grapple with problems that may be too hard for us.  O give us of the lowliness and the love of Christ; may we have more of the spirit of true sacrifice, that time and strength may be given freely, with a constant joy, for the truth’s sake and our brethren’s sake in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

John Hunter

For Our Political Life

      O God, thou great Governor of all the world, we pray thee to strengthen the sense of duty in our political life.  Grant that the servants of the state may feel ever more deeply that any diversion of their public powers for private ends is a betrayal of their country.  Raise up a new generation of citizens, who will have the faith and daring of the Kingdom of God in their hearts, and who will strive earnestly to maintain the freedom and rights of the people; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Walter Rauschenbusch (Adapted)

For Our Country

      Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will.  Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners.  Save us from violence, discord and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way.  Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitude brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues.  Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to thy law we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth.  In the time of prosperity fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For Deliverance from Race Prejudice

      O God, who hast made of one blood all nations to dwell upon the earth; Break down, we beseech thee, all that divides us one from another; shame our jealousies, and lay low our pride; do away with all race prejudice, that the bonds of fellowship and mutual service may unite the East and the West, the North and the South, that we may live in peace together, in honor preferring one another; to the glory of thy holy Name.  Amen.

G. C. Binyon

For All Nations

      O God of all the Nations, look down, we beseech thee, upon us who ask thy help and blessing.  Sustain in us the spirit of justice and humility; enable us to recognize in other peoples and races their virtues, traditions, and just rights.  Cultivate in us more fully the love of the arts of peace; train us in habits of self-command and simplicity; and so purge our hearts of suspicion of others and increase our confidence in our brethren, that we may keep our place among the nations in peace and good will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Prisoners

      We beseech thee, O God, for all prisoners and captives, and all who suffer from oppression, that thou wilt manifest thy mercy toward them, and make the heart of man merciful as thine own; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the President of the United States and All

Others in Authority

      O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world; We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace.  Grant to the President and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will.  Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness; and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For the Family of Nations

      Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, guide, we beseech thee, the Nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For the Nation

      O Eternal God, through whose mighty power our fathers won their liberties of old; Grant, we beseech thee, that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For All in the Service of Our Country

      O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defense, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honor and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Those in Authority

      O Lord God Almighty, guide, we pray thee, all those to whom thou hast committed the government of this nation, and grant to them at this time special gifts of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and strength; that upholding what is right, and following what is true, they may obey thy holy will and fulfill thy divine purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Persecuted

      O blessed Lord, who thyself didst undergo the pain and suffering of the Cross; Uphold, we beseech thee, with thy promised gift of strength all those of our brethren who are suffering for their faith in thee.  Grant that in the midst of all persecutions they may hold fast by this faith, and that from their steadfastness thy Church may grow in grace and we ourselves in perseverance, to the honor of thy Name, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost art one God, world without end.  Amen.

For World Peace

      Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed; Kindle, we pray thee, in the hearts of all men the true love of peace, and guide with thy strong and peaceful wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in tranquility thy kingdom may go forward, till the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Social Justice

      Almighty God, who hast created man in thine own image; Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil, and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice among men and nations, to the glory of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For Those Who Minister to the Wounded and Sick

      O merciful God, whose blessed Son went about doing good; Uphold with thy strength and grace those who do service to the wounded and the sick; grant to the ministers of thy gospel faithfulness and love, to the physicians and surgeons wisdom and skill, to the nurses sympathy and patience; and we beseech thee to protect and bless them in all dangers, anxieties, and labors; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Lonely

      Have compassion, O most merciful Lord, on all who are lonely and desolate.  Be thou their Comforter and Friend; give them such earthly solace as thou seest to be best for them; and bring them to the fuller knowledge of thy love; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Those Wounded in War

      O Lord, we pray thee to have mercy upon all who are this day wounded and suffering.  Though kindred and friends be far away, let thy grace be their comfort.  Raise them to health again, if it be thy good pleasure; but chiefly give them patience and faith in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Part  VIII – Prayers For The Sick And The Departed

An Intercession

      O King of Heaven, receive our adoration, cherish the contrite, protect the humble, raise the fallen, have mercy on suppliants, and grant us thy peace now and for evermore.  Amen.

Acts of Devotion

Thanksgiving

      Almighty and everliving God, we yield thee most high praise and hearty thanks for the wonderful grace and virtue declared in all thy saints, who have been the choice vessels of thy grace, and the lights of the world in their several generations; most humbly beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow the example of their steadfastness in thy faith, and obedience to thy holy commandments, that at the day of the general resurrection we, with all those who are of the mystical body of thy Son, may be set on his right hand, and hear his most joyful voice: Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake, our only Mediator and Advocate.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For the Sick

      O Lord, look down from heaven, behold, visit, and relieve this thy servant.  Look upon him with the eyes of thy mercy, give him comfort and sure confidence in thee, defend him in all danger, and keep him in perpetual peace and safety; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Heavenly Vision

      Lord, we pray thee, that thou wilt open our eyes to behold the heaven that lies about us, wherein they walk, who being born to the new life, serve thee with the clearer vision and the greater joy; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

Bishop Slattery

For Those in Sorrow

      O Merciful God and Heavenly Father, who hast taught us in thy holy Word that thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men; Look with pity, we beseech thee, upon the sorrows of thy servants, for whom our prayers are desired.  Remember them, O Lord, in mercy; endue their souls with patience; comfort them with a sense of thy goodness; lift up thy countenance upon them, and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

Remembrance

      Grant, O Lord, that keeping in glad remembrance those who have gone before, who have stood by us and helped us, who have cheered us by their sympathy and strengthened us by their example, we, inheriting their faith and courage, may rejoice in the promise of a glorious resurrection with them; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Oxford Diocesan Book

For Those in Pain

      Breathe down, O Lord, upon all those who are bearing pain, thy spirit of healing, thy spirit of life, thy spirit of peace and hope, of love and joy, thy spirit of courage and endurance.  Cast out from them the spirit of anxiety and fear; grant them perfect confidence and trust in thee, that in thy light they may see light; through Christ Jesus our Saviour.  Amen.

Diana Ponsonby

For Those in Mental Darkness

      O Lord, teach them to be still before thee, until their ears have caught thy accents and their eyes have glimpsed thy truth.  Then, O God, open thou their lips and their mouths to show forth thy praise, and bear witness to thy glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

      Help thy children, O God, who seem unable to find thee.  Help them to open the windows of their souls in prayer, and renew them ever by thy grace, that through all the restlessness and complexities of life they may always possess something of the peace of those whose minds are stayed on thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For the Departed

      May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace, and may light perpetual shine upon them.  Amen.

For the Bereaved

      O Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ did weep at the grave of Lazarus his friend: Look, we beseech thee, with compassion upon those who are now in sorrow and affliction; comfort them, O Lord, with thy gracious consolations; make them to know that all things work together for good to them that love thee; and grant them evermore sure trust and confidence in thy fatherly care; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

All Saints

      O Almighty God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord; Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love thee; through the same, thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For the Departed

      Almighty and everlasting God, who knowest the necessities of all thy children, have in thy holy keeping those dear to us who have departed this life in thy faith and love; grant that they may grow more and more into thy perfect likeness; give them eternal peace and may light perpetual shine upon them; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Communion with God

For the Departed

      O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered; Accept our prayers on behalf of the soul of thy servant departed, and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

For Faith and Power

      Almighty and everlasting God, who dost enkindle the flame of thy love in the hearts of the saints; Grant to us, thy humble servants, the same faith and power of love, that, as we rejoice in their triumphs, we may profit by their examples; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

The Land of Light and Joy

      O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered, accept our prayers on behalf of the soul of thy servant departed, and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Our Beloved Departed

      O Father of all, we pray to thee for those we love, but see no longer.  Grant them thy peace; let light perpetual shine upon them; and in thy loving wisdom and almighty power work in them the good purpose of thy perfect will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Light and Peace

      O Eternal Lord God, who holdest all souls in life, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to thy whole Church in paradise and on earth, thy light and thy peace; and grant that we, following the good examples of those who have served thee here and are now at rest, may at the last enter with them into thine unending joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

To a Mourner

Be comforted, beloved, if he lies

In death’s white silence and in seeming sleep:

Rest thy poor heart in fragrant memories,

For God shall every perfect promise keep,

And he who came as man, mankind to save,

Left tracks of glory even in the grave.

Grieve not that in his prime he passed to God,

Youth’s alabaster cruse broken and spilled:

Young was his Saviour when he shed his blood

And love’s eternal sacrifice fulfilled:

His life’s rich spikenard gallantly he poured

Upon the feet of his most gallant Lord.

When we look back from God’s eternity

Upon our life’s short time of trial here,

That for which we shall then most thankful be,

The memory we’ll count most precious there,

Will be each time that we did not refuse

Our sacrifice when given chance to choose.

When God, who made our manhood, proved its worth

And sought to show how lovely it could be,

His royal choice was Bethlehem for his birth

And for his death the Cross of Calvary;

And we should surely count his life most blest

Who with both hands has given God his best.

Be comforted, beloved, you shall know

Proud gratitude for all your dear one’s pain.

Did not his sacred wounds the Saviour show

To eyes that loved him when he came again?

Shall not his wounds for ever sacred be

Who bravely died for him and you and me?

Be comforted!  He gave his life for you:

Your pain is your heart’s cost in giving too.

Father Andrew, S. D. C.

The Communion of Saints

      O God the King of saints, we praise and magnify thy holy Name for all thy servants who have finished their course in thy faith and fear; for the Blessed Virgin Mary, for the holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs, and for all other thy righteous servants; and we beseech thee that, encouraged by their example, strengthened by their fellowship, and aided by their prayers, we may attain unto everlasting life; through the merits of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

From the Book of Common Prayer of the Scottish Episcopal Church

For an Anniversary of One Departed

      Almighty God, we remember this day before thee thy faithful servant (N.), and we pray thee that, having opened to him the gates of larger life, thou wilt receive him more and more into thy joyful service; that he may win, with thee and thy servants everywhere, the eternal victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For One Well Known

      We seem to give him back to thee, dear Lord, who gayest him to us.  Yet as thou didst not lose him in giving, so we have not lost him by his return.  For what is thine is ours always; and life is eternal and love is immortal; and what we sometimes call death is only a horizon, and a horizon is nothing but the limit of our sight.  Lift us up, O God, that we may see further; cleanse our eyes that we may see more clearly; draw us closer to thyself that we may know ourselves nearer to our beloved who are with thee, that where they are, and thou art, we too may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For Health of Body and Soul

      O God, the Father of lights, from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift; Have mercy on our frailty, and grant us such health of body as thou knowest to be needful for us; that both in our bodies and our souls we may evermore serve thee with all our strength and might; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Cosin

For the Family

      Shed the bright rays of thy light, O Father, upon this family and household, that every member of the same, made confident by thy guidance, may fulfill his daily duty with pure motives and a gallant heart.  Be close to us in times of stress and strain, that our courage and our hope may never fail.  Let thy sheltering arm protect us, that we may be valiant in all peril.  Turn for us sorrow into joy, darkness into sunshine, death into life; so that when the evening comes and our work on earth is done, we may pass triumphantly into the uplands of fellowship in thy family above; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Brent

For Healing

      O God, who art ever nigh to all that call upon thee, who sent thy Son into the world not only that we might have life, but that we might have it in greater abundance; Send thy blessing, we pray thee, upon thy children who look to thee for help.  In every hour of weakness and in every moment of pain help them to be conscious of thy presence and of thy love, that they may feel themselves surrounded with that peace of God that passes all understanding.  Amen.

Dear Heavenly Father, pity those

Who lie in weary pain.

O Saviour, stand beside their beds

And make them whole again.

For Healing

      Fold in thy compassion, O loving Jesus, those who are ill in body, mind, or soul.  Lay a healing hand upon the wounds of their souls, that inner peace may be their portion.  Revive their failing strength and let life conquer death in their suffering bodies, that, rejoicing in thy mercy, they may serve thee with grateful hearts all their days upon earth.  Amen.

From Strength to Strength

      Remember thy servant, O Lord, according to the favor which thou bearest unto thy people, and grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may go from strength to strength, in the life of perfect service, in thy heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end.  Amen.

For a Right Attitude Towards Pain

      We ask thee not, O Lord, to rid us of pain; but grant in thy mercy that our pain may be free from waste, unfretted by rebellion against thy will, unsoiled by thought of ourselves, purified by love of our kind, and ennobled by devotion to thy Kingdom; through the merits of thine only Son our Lord.  Amen.

H. S. Nash

For Healing

      O Living Christ, make us conscious now of thy healing nearness.  Touch our eyes that we may see thee; open our ears that we may hear thy voice; enter our hearts that we may know thy love.  Overshadow our souls and bodies with thy presence, that we may partake of thy strength, thy love and thy healing life; in thy Name, we ask.  Amen.

Part  IX – Meditations, Acts Of Devotion, Benedictions

Preparation for Prayer and Meditation

      Study and master the simple and necessary principles set forth in the following paragraphs.

First – Relaxation

      Long experience shows that physical relaxation is a great aid to the reception of vital truths and influences.  As long as the body is tense it seems that the mind and spirit attitude is aggressive and in a sense neutralizes the Divine before it comes into contact with the inner life.  The Divine makes its habitation most naturally and easily in the mind and spirit where the state of receptivity is most nearly perfect.

      Seek quiet and seclusion.  Relax.  Loose the hold of muscles and nerves.  So strive for perfect relaxation throughout your body.

      There is no progress without relaxation.

Second – Concentration

      Scattered thoughts and uncentered will dissipate power and close the avenues of approach to the soul.

      Shut out the world.  Think of one thing – the one all desirable thing for the present.  One step at a time must be the rule of your growing life in God.  And that one step must deal with the Great Underlying Principle not with the lesser and partial manifestations of it.  Waste no time with details – they confuse the soul in its struggle for the Truth.

      Focus every faculty upon the possession of the one thing.  You are preparing to give truth an unimpeded entrance to your inner life.  Stir in your heart a longing for God’s presence and all that his Presence means.  Open wide the doors of your mind and soul for his blessing.

      There is no progress without concentration.

Third – Contemplation

      Before you can be you must see.

      Paint for your soul the picture of your desire.  Visualize your ideal.  God intended your imagination for use.

      Time must be spent in the contemplation of the ideal you would have master your life and the truth you desire to become.

      There is no progress without contemplation.

Fourth – Affirmation

      If you are to succeed in your search for truth, serenity, and power, each step must be an affirmation.  With respect to your faith in God and your communion with him every doubt must be cast aside.

      In your struggle for life-mastery there can be no negations.  The whole universe of truth is powerless to help you until you approach it with sympathy and intention.

      Truth is affirmative, not negative.

      There is no progress without affirmation.  Be as simple and natural as you can.  Let your soul speak to God.

      If it is difficult at first to form your petitions or to give full expression to your inmost thoughts, time and effort will overcome that limitation and bring a rich blessing.

      “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him.”

1 John 4: 16.

Meditation

      Meditation or mental prayer is thinking about God, listening to his words to us, and then acting upon what we have learned from him.

Preparation

      1. The Foundation – We really prepare first of all for meditation by our lives; by trying to live as followers of Our Lord, by remembering our duties and privileges as members of his Household of Faith; the Church, and by living up to these.

      2. Next – It is customary to read over the passage from the Bible, or whatever devotional reading we have chosen, the night before, in order that we may be ready for it the following day.

      3. Then – There are three short steps as we begin our Meditation.

            a.  We remind ourselves that we are in God’s Presence.

            b.  We think of our own unworthiness.

            c.  We ask for the help and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.

      Usually all of these are very short steps, but if we are impelled to linger in this part of our Meditation we should always do so.

      Most people find the morning the best time for mental prayer, but this of course depends upon the individual and his work schedule.  The amount of time allotted to it also varies with the individual and his work.  Ten minutes is about the minimum which we need.  More time is better if we can afford it; but it is far better to make a ten-minute meditation every single day than to do a half-hour or longer only once in a while.

Meditation Proper

      Read over the passage, slowly and carefully.

            1. Picture the scene to yourself: become part of the scene.

            2. What thoughts does this suggest to us?  What feelings?  Adoration?  Penitence?  Thanksgiving?  Express these feelings and thoughts to God in simple acts (i.e. expressions of such feelings or thoughts).

            3. What am I going to do about it?  Make some simple resolution – definite and concrete, not some vague generality.

Thanksgiving

      We end our Meditation by thanking God for what he has made clear to us, what he has taught us or pointed out to us for this day, and ask him to keep us always closely united in will with him.

Sample Meditation

      The following meditation based on the Epistle and Gospel for Whitsunday, Prayer Book, pages 180–181 is a suggestion of the kind of Meditation which could be made on any of the great passages from Scripture.  The period before we go to the altar rail, or after we have returned to our seats, offers a splendid opportunity for quiet reflection.

      Having read the Epistle and Gospel for Whitsunday then picture the setting – the disciples expectant but uncertain, – Christ no longer with them in the flesh, – Jesus’ promise before them (The Gospel), then that glorious fulfillment of the experience of Pentecost described in the Epistle.  No longer vacillating, uncertain, drawn in different directions: the disciples were altogether with a common purpose and thus they were ready for the flame of the Holy Spirit to enlighten their minds and enkindle their hearts.  They had been praying together constantly and this united them in their love of their Lord and Master so that they were ready to become instruments of his Divine plan.

      Having pictured the historical setting, let us turn to its meaning for us.  The disciples, like us, were laymen, with no special equipment save a consuming loyalty.  The establishment of the Church was in their hands even as its continuance is partly in ours.  We today, like these first disciples, are living in a world of confusion, of anxiety and anguish but we have Christ’s promise of continuing help through the power of the Holy Spirit.

      Close your Meditation with an act of resolution.  Determine that no task or burden will be too great for you if you remember to confide in his strength.  Set yourself some definite task for the days ahead, some word of witness or some expression of discipleship.

      Close with the following Collect on page 182 of the Prayer Book:

      Almighty and most merciful God, grant, we beseech thee, that by the indwelling of thy Holy Spirit, we may be enlightened and strengthened for thy service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end.  Amen.

A Morning Prayer

      Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live and move and have our being; Grant, we beseech thee, that we may pass this day in gladness and peace, without stumbling and without stain; that, reaching the eventide victorious over all temptation, we may praise thee, the eternal God, who art blessed, and dost govern all things, world without end.  Amen.

Mozarabic Liturgy

Christ the King

Christ is the King!  O friends upraise

Anthems of joy and holy praise

For his brave saints of ancient days,

Who with a faith forever new

Followed the King and round him drew

Thousands of faithful men and true.

O Christian women, Christian men,

All the world over, seek again

The Way disciples follow’d then.

Christ through all ages is the same:

Place the same hope in his great Name,

With the same faith his word proclaim.

Let Love’s unconquerable might

Your scattered companies unite

In service to the Lord of light:

So shall God’s will on earth be done,

New lamps be lit, new tasks begun,

And the whole Church at last be one.

George Kennedy Allen Bell

A Morning Prayer

      O God, who wakenest sleeping night with the magic touch of dawn; Lay thy morning hand on all my faculties which sleep and fill them with the light of thy life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Brent

An Evening Prayer

      O God, who hast drawn over weary day the restful veil of night, enfold us in thy heavenly peace.  Lift from our hands our tasks, and all through the night bear in thy bosom the full weight of our burdens and sorrows; that in untroubled slumber we may press our weariness close to thy strength, and win new power for the morrow’s duties from thee, who givest to thy beloved sleep; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bishop Brent

For the Unfortunate

      O Thou, who understandest the frailty of the human heart; Hear our prayer for those who have been unfortunate in life and bruised in spirit; those who have toiled without success; those who have endured with no outside encouragement; those who have given up all earthly prospects to comfort the aged, and care for the maimed; those who are lonely in heart; for them we know not what to ask, but thou knowest, O Lover of Souls, Saviour of mankind for ever.  Amen.

Acts of Devotion

For Peace

      Kindle, O God, the desire for peace in the hearts of all men, and guide the nations with thy wisdom; that thy Kingdom may go forward in power, till the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Westminster Prayers

      Heavenly Father, I cannot speak thy name and be petty; I cannot call myself thy child and sow discord.  For when I am faithful thou dost guide me in all my ways and keep me clear in mind and spirit.  Thou hast promised to those who love thee and seek to do thy will the peace which passeth understanding.  Help me to grow each day to love thee more and to do thy will better.  So let thy peace be mine as thy love enlargeth my soul and thy mercy covereth my faults, for Jesus Christ’s sake.  Amen.

For Renewed Consecration

      O Eternal God, who committest to us the swift and solemn trust of life; Since we know not what a day may bring forth, but only that the hour for serving thee is always present, may we wake to the instant claims of thy holy will, not waiting for tomorrow, but yielding today.  Lay to rest, by the persuasion of thy Spirit, the resistance of our passion, indolence or fear.  Consecrate with thy presence the way our feet may go, and the humblest work will shine, and the roughest places be made plain.  Lift us above unrighteous anger and mistrust into faith and hope and charity by a simple and steadfast reliance on thy sure will.  In all things draw us to the mind of Christ, that thy lost image may be traced again and thou mayest own us as at one with him and thee, who art with the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.  Amen.

James Martineau

A Prayer for the Night

      O Lord our God, who alone makest us to dwell in safety; Refresh with quiet sleep, this night, those who are wearied with the labors of the day; and mercifully protect from harm all who put their trust in thee; that lying down in peace to take our rest, we may fear no evil, but confidently give ourselves into thy holy keeping; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

Cento from William Bright

A Prayer for the Night

      O Lord, who watchest over thy children while they sleep; Receive us and all we love into thy keeping; forgive us wherein we have been ungrateful; wherein we have done our best grant that we may forget our failure.  Be a resting place for all who are in any trouble.  Defend great causes in Church and Nation, for without thee those who watch them wake in vain.  Guard the workers of the night, keeping far from them the powers of darkness; and to all others grant the gift of sleep, that when the morning cometh the whole world may rejoice in thy light; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

Bishop Slattery

For Simplicity

Lord, temper with tranquility

Our manifold activity;

That we may do our work for thee

With very great simplicity.  Amen.

16th Century

For Right Thinking

      Grant to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do anything that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

Noonday Prayers

      Blessed Saviour, who at this hour didst hang upon the Cross, stretching forth thy loving arms; Grant that all mankind may look unto thee, and be saved; through thy mercies and merits, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost ever, one God.  World without end.  Amen.

Bishop Coxe

      Almighty Saviour, who at midday didst call thy servant Saint Paul to be an Apostle to the Gentiles; We beseech thee, illumine the world with the radiance of thy glory, that all nations may come and worship thee, who art, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.  Amen.

For the Spirit of Brotherhood

      O God, the Father of all mankind, we beseech thee to inspire us with such love, truth and equity, that in all our dealings one with another we may show forth our brotherhood in thee; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Acts of Devotion

Prayer Sonnet

Go thou into thy closet; shut thy door;

And pray to him in secret; he will hear.

But think not thou, by one wild bound, to clear

The numberless ascensions, more and more,

Of starry stairs that must be climbed before

Thou comest to the Father’s likeness near,

And bendest down to kiss the feet so dear

That step by step, their mounting flights passed o’er.

Be thou content if on thy weary need

There falls a sense of showers and of the spring;

A hope that makes it possible to fling

Sickness aside, and go and do the deed —

For highest aspiration will not lead

Unto the calm beyond all questioning.

Prayer Sonnet

Hark, hark, a voice amid the quiet intense!

It is thy Duty waiting thee without.

Rise from thy knees in hope, the half of doubt,

A hand doth pull thee — it is Providence,

Open thy door straightway, and get thee hence;

Go forth into the tumult and the shout;

Work, love, with workers, lovers, all about —

Of noise alone is born the inward sense

Of silence; and from action springs alone

The inward knowledge of true love and faith.

Then, weary, go thou back with failing breath

And in thy chamber make thy prayer and moan;

One day upon his bosom, all thine own,

Thou shalt lie still, embraced in holy death.

Prayer Sonnet

And should the twilight darken into night,

And sorrow grow to anguish, be thou strong;

Thou art in God, and nothing can go wrong

Which a fresh life-pulse cannot set aright.

That thou dost know the darkness, proves the light.

Weep if thou wilt, but weep not all too long;

Or weep and work, for work will lead to song.

But search thy heart, if, hid from all thy sight,

There lie no cause for beauty’s slow decay;

If for completeness and diviner youth,

And not for very love, thou seek’st the truth;

If thou hast learned to give thyself away

For love’s own self, not for thyself, I say:

Were God’s love less, the world were lost, in sooth.

Resurrection

A glorious, heaven-born day of early spring!

One radiant smile from earth and sea and sky;

One thrilling note of praise from larks that sing

Rising above the fields exultingly!

O thou who on this day didst die

For us thy children glad new life to bring,

And show the Father’s love forever nigh,

Help us to soar as larks on upward wing,

And praise thee in our lives unceasingly;

May we reflect thy beams of love and light,

Sun of our souls! Grant that our lives may be

As sea and sky, mirrors, unclouded, bright,

Wherein if any look, they shall find thee:

Be this our Easter prayer,

O Lord of Might.

A Litany of Personal Consecration

      In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

      Our Father. . . .

      That it may please thee to grant me by thy Holy Spirit to hear ever more clearly thy Voice, calling me to a deeper devotion to thy service:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

      For grace to respond with my whole heart to thy call:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

      For a continual sense of thy abiding Presence and thy overruling guidance in my daily life:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

      For a deeper love and earnestness in the act of consecration to thee of myself, my soul and body, that I make anew at each Communion:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

      For the illuminating grace of thy Holy Spirit, that I may be guided to use for thee every power and every opportunity thou hast given me:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

(The consecration of Love.)

      For grace so to live in the light of thy Divine Love for me that, loving thee above all, I may give to others the sunshine of love which has its source in thee alone:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

(The consecration of Friendship.)

      For spiritual insight to realize more fully my influence on others, and grace to use it only and always for thee:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

      For wisdom taught of love to understand the needs of my friends, and grace to help them by prayer and sympathy:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

(The consecration of Happiness.)

      For a daily renewal of the spirit of true joy which the sense of thy abiding Presence alone can give, that all the joys of my life may be sanctified in thee:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

(The consecration of Trial.)

      For a steadfast heart to meet with constant cheerfulness the anxieties and trials of my life, as thy way of sanctification for me:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

(The consecration of Time.)

      For inspiration and grace so to worship thee and to serve thee here, that I may be ready for thy perfect service hereafter:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

      For a right judgment in giving to each duty its due place and proportion, that my days may be ordered in accordance with thy Divine Will:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

(The consecration of Social Life.)

      For grace to make the spirit in which I fulfill all social duties one with the spirit of my inmost life and prayers:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

      For grace to refrain from the unkind word, and from the unkind silence:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

(The consecration of Intellect.)

      For guidance so to use the intellectual ability thou hast given that I may continually go forward toward the fullness of that perfection which thou hast purposed for me:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

(The consecration of Substance.)

      For a spirit of willing self-denial that I may give gladly and freely for the work of thy Church at home and abroad :

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

      For inward light to see how far short I have come of thy Divine purpose for me:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

      For a truer penitence, a firmer faith, a deeper devotion, a more perfect love:

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

      For a fuller apprehension of thine infinite Love for me – of the Power of prayer – of the Joy of spiritual things – of the Glory that shall be revealed :

      O Lord, hear my prayer.

      And grant unto me, unworthy though I am, a clear vision of the beauty of Holiness, and a sure confidence that in thy light and by thy grace I may at last attain to it, through Jesus Christ my Lord.  Amen.

A Litany of Intercession

      Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who lovest all and forgettest none, we bring to thee our supplications for all thy children.  For all whom we love, and for whom we watch and care,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all who have blessed us with kindness, led us with patience, and restored us with their sympathy and help,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all who have wished or done us ill, that thou wouldst turn their hearts to penitence, and ours to blessing,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all prisoners and captives, and all who suffer from oppression, that thou wilt manifest thy mercy toward them, and make the heart of man merciful as thine own,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all who bear the cross of suffering, the sick in body or in mind,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all those who are troubled by the sin or suffering of those they love,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all who are visited by worldly loss that in the dark and cloudy day they may find their peace in thee,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all who are absorbed in their own grief, that they may be raised to share the sorrows of their brethren, and know the secret and blessed fellowship of the Cross,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all who are suffering because of their faithfulness to conviction and duty, that renunciation may bring strength; and sacrifice, joy; and that they may have thy grace, who seest in secret, and come at last to their reward,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all perplexed by the deeper questions of life, and overshadowed with doubt, that light may arise in their darkness,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all who are tried by passionate temptations, or mean suggestions, that thy mercy may be their salvation,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all who are lonely and sad in the midst of others’ joys, that they may know thee as their friend and comforter,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For the infirm and aged, and for all who are passing through the valley of death, that they may find their strength in thee, and light at evening time,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      For all forgotten by us, but dear to thee,

      We beseech thee to hear us, O God.

      O God our Father, have regard to our intercessions, answer them according to thy will, and make us the channels of thine infinite pity and helpfulness, worthy to pray as our Master hath taught us: Our Father . . .

A Litany of Thanksgiving

      O Lord, who hast set before us the great hope that thy kingdom shall come on earth, as it is in heaven, make us ever ready to thank thee for the signs of its dawning.  For the work of thy Spirit within and beyond the bounds of thy visible Church,

      We thank thee, OLord.

      For the work of thy Spirit in the history of the world, through peaceful advance, and through pain and tumult,

      We thank thee, O Lord.

      For the work of thy Spirit in the history of our own country, through its heroes and leaders, in statecraft, law, and industry,

      We thank thee, OLord.

      For the work of thy Spirit in science and commerce, in literature and art,

      We thank thee, O Lord.

      For the work of thy Spirit in the slow triumph of truth over error,

      We thank thee, O Lord.

      For the work of thy Spirit in the growing desire for true brotherhood, between men of every class and nation,

      We thank thee, O Lord.

      For the work of thy Spirit in the spread of education, and in the development of a fuller life for individuals,

      We thank thee, O Lord.

      For the work of thy Spirit in the deepening sense of human worth and in the growing reverence for womanhood and childhood,

      We thank thee, O Lord.

      For the work of thy Spirit in the Church, which will not cease until it joins all nations and kindreds and tongues and peoples into one great family, to thy praise and glory,

      We thank thee, O Lord.  Amen.

Benedictions

      The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore.  Amen.

      May the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, rest upon us, and upon all our work and worship done in his name.  May he give us light to guide us, courage to support us, and love to unite us, now and forever more.  Amen.

      God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep us; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon us; and fill us with all spiritual benediction and grace, that we may so live together in this life that in the world to come we may have life everlasting.  Amen.

      May the grace of courage, gaiety and quiet mind, with all such blessedness as belongeth to the children of the Father in heaven, be ours, to the praise of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, who liveth and reigneth one God, world without end.  Amen.

      The Lord grant unto us and all whom we love the joy of knowing and doing his will, now and for evermore.  Amen.

      May the Lord God grant us his blessing and fill our hearts with the Spirit of truth and peace now and for evermore.  Amen.

Use Back button to return